


Paradise Lost

by Noizchild



Category: Original Work
Genre: Diary/Journal, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fear, Gen, Kitsune, Prequel, Runaway, Slice of Life, Supernatural Elements, Tapes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 49,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5577217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noizchild/pseuds/Noizchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisuke's life from childhood to the day that he died. This is the second prequel to the "Ghost Doll" series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Energy Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Haruka and Akio met and wed.

Paradise Lost

_Chapter One: Energy Flow:_

Can a lost paradise beget one that is regained? So many flowers are born from the lifeless earth once the snow melts. Art can be created from garbage. Even wealth can be built from poverty. However, the paradise regained must come from the paradise that was first lost. How does the original paradise become lost to begin with? So many factors play into its destruction. One of the most common ones is trauma. This trauma can be self-inflicted or external. Monsters can come along and destroy a once-proud paradise into such an ugly ruin.

One such story is one of Kimoto Daisuke, who died at age thirty-four on Halloween night in 1999. Before that fateful night in the paradise that would be reborn, he lived in a nightmarish Hell for the first seventeen years of his life. So many factors played into the rebirth of his paradise, one of which would be his daughter, Anna. However, they cannot be explained in just tiny sentences. This story will make sense when it is played back from the very beginning.

Kimoto Daisuke came from the Eda-Kimoto clan. Around 730 AD, their ancestor, Sen, made a deal with a powerful seven-tailed kitsune. He wanted a way to cure his dying fiancée when all else failed to save her. In exchange for saving her life, the descendants would give over a daughter after every forty generations. Because of this contract, the family became kitsune-tsukai. In between the generations of the Mother's grand return, each of the descendants get a copy of the great kitsune. Because of this, they don't really live long. As a result, from the Meji Era and onwards, the clan started to kill people to feed their souls to their kitsune.

The history of the Eda-Kimoto clans sets up the story of Daisuke's early misery.

The year 1965 started off with the birth of Kimoto Akio and Haruka's fourth son. The mother went into labor while visiting her in-laws for the New Year's Eve holiday. The family managed to get the thirty-year-old mother to the hospital in time. By New Year's Day at three in the morning, the couple's fourth child, a son, was born. Akio named him Daisuke after his great-father who sparked his interest in the occult in the first place. His older brothers, Yasuo, Shichiro, and Nobu, didn't get to meet their new brother until four days later. Yasuo wasn't so welcoming towards the new baby like Shichiro and Nobu were. The only other person that didn't enjoy having a new baby was Haruka herself.

She never wanted to get married nor have children in the first place. After the suspicious death of her twin sister, Juriko, on their birthday, Haruka ran away from home on Christmas and came all the way to Kobe. She chose that city as her destination because her father loved it so much and spoke highly of it before World War II destroyed his mind permanently. In Kobe, she found the freedom she so deeply desired. However, it became short-lived when she met Kimoto Akio in Suma-ku on New Year's Day in 1951. Because of her background with the Eda clan and his love of dark magic, the boy found himself smitten with her. At first, she didn't want anything to do with him. But that didn't turn him away from trying to have her. His presentence and angelic-like charm won over the young ice queen in the end. Years passed, now married with four sons, they became a family. However, there were ulterior motives in this arrangement.

Despite not enjoying being tied down the way she was, Haruka did find some uses in her husband. In the beginning, she saw the young charming Akio has her errand-boy. As she had to say was, "Akio, I need…" Saying it in a fake, sugary tone made her teeth feel like they were going to rot out of her mouth.

"Why do you act so fake around that boy?" her landlady asked. "He probably already sees the real you." Haruka after her young tenant sent him off to buy her more soap. Haruka only shrugged.

"He's a dumb pawn little that," she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" her landlady asked. Haruka shook her head and went back into her apartment. Her little fanboy didn't mind being used by her like this. He was just happy to be of any use to his crush. After all, she gave him mind-blowing pleasure in the bedroom. In fact, it was her that seduced him in bed when her kitsune needed to feed. Killing him wouldn't really benefit, so she decided to feed off of him in the alternate way.

Akio and Haruka's relationship started off as purely physical. He would do tasks for her and she would sleep with him in return. If his parents weren't home, Akio would sneak his "girlfriend" into the house and use his parents' bed for sex. In his mind, the boy saw this as dating while she didn't want to put a label on it. That didn't stop Akio from trying to take the relationship further. Haruka only went with it just to shut the boy up.

His parents didn't really approve of the relationship because of the Eda name. They feared the worst for their son when they noticed unsettling changes in him. He hadn't been eating or sleeping too well. Their son looked frail with his complexion looking like powder. Doctors and priests worked to nurse him back to health. When they learned that the boy had taken Eda Haruka as his lover, everyone, including his parents, tried to separate them. Akio didn't care; he was living out his long-time dream of being with one of the descendants of the powerful kitsune-tsukai clan. In spring of 1952, he decided to take the relationship even further.

Throughout the whole summer, Akio proposed to his girlfriend. Haruka didn't want to wed and kept turning him down. In August, she finally said yes just to shut him up. By October first in 1952, the couple was married. Her kitsune was overjoyed by this turn of events. You see, her mistress' mortality clock started ticking loudly. Her kitsune had a dream that the Mother would return in two more generations starting with her mistress.

"My lady," Aki, her kitsune, whispered in her ear just days before she was to wed. "You need to start having children soon." The young woman frowned with such distaste at that suggestion. Her kitsune's sweet, babyish tone made her grind her teeth.

"Why?" she asked. The silver kitsune snuggled with her mistress in her futon.

"Trust me when I say this," she whispered. "The Mother will return through your grandchildren." Haruka rolled over, sneering at such a story.

"Whatever," she mumbled half-asleep. The young woman shoved the kitsune's arm off of her shoulder.

"This is really important," the kitsune tried to reason with. Haruka sat up, frowning at her.

"Look," she said, "I don't want children. It's bad enough that I'm getting married. Don't add on more crap that I don't need, okay?" Aki lowered her head.

"Alright," she said softly. Haruka pushed some of her bangs out of her eyes.

"Can I go back to sleep now?" she asked.

"Yes, mistress," the kitsune murmured.

"Thank you," the nineteen-year-old said. The kitsune's face dropped in disappointment as the bride-to-be laid back down in her futon. Aki decided to go through Akio to get the Mother's will executed. On the day before the wedding, she went into her human form sent the groom-to-be a little message. She told him to meet her on the beach. When Akio found his note on his futon, he rushed out to the beach late at night.

When he found her, Aki only wore a sheer white sundress. The young man tried to contain himself when he saw her body. His cheeks colored over red as he tried to think of something to say.

"You called for me, miss?" he asked. Aki looked at him with an angelic look in her eyes as she sat before him on the sand like a queen.

"I need you to help me with something," she said. Her voice flowed out of her like honey raining from a blackened heaven. Akio felt himself being drawn deeper in as she spoke.

"What can I do for you?" he asked with brightly colored cheeks. Aki smirked as she gracefully rose to her feet. Her target's heart raced as she walked closer. The kitsune cupped his right cheek in her hand. The seventeen-year-old boy gulped as her lips lightly graced his ear.

"Please give me children," she whispered. Akio's face burned over bright red at such a request. Her words alone were enough to make him fold in her hands like clay. The kitsune rested her fingers to his lips before he even had the chance to speak. His eyes stayed locked her piercing blue eyes.

"Don't say anything," the kitsune whispered in a husky flirtatious tone. "Just do it for me, please?" The boy slowly nodded his head up and down in response. Aki's lips curved into a rich seductive smile.

"I thank you," she whispered. The kitsune moved in and planted a light kiss on his lips. That look enticing request became the driving force for Aki to have children with his bride. Haruka refused at first, but the young man won her over with his charm like he usually did.

"I love you so much," he said. "I just want to have children with you." He wouldn't back off with his request. Again, his wife went along with this plan just to get him off of her back. Sadly, one child would not be enough for Aki and the Mother. It seemed as if the two kitsune were looking for the perfect carrier for the paradise rebirth. Years and three more sons later came to Daisuke's birth.

When they first saw this baby boy in Haruka's arms, they already felt pity for him already. For they already knew of the Hell that would ruin the newly-born paradise they witnessed before them. For now, the boys would keep this to themselves and show as much love and care to the baby before he would witness the Hell of the Eda clan for himself.


	2. Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit about the Kimoto children.

Chapter Two: Abyss:

The Kimoto home life was rather less than ideal for a child to live in. The house had only a living room, kitchen, play room, and four bedrooms. There wasn't much room for all three of the older boys to play in. They didn't really get many toys to place with either. The two older boys slept in a room together while Nobu shared his room with the new baby. To make matters much worse, they practically lived in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Kobe.

Akio was the one who took care of all four boys. Haruka went out and made her kills to keep herself alive. Due to the age gap between his brothers, Daisuke couldn't really form attachments early on. Despite Nobu being so kind and gentle to him, the little boy couldn't really shake the empty feeling forming in his stomach. His mother never bonded with him like she did with her other three children. Aiko pretty much held him and took care of him.

Yasuo never really liked his baby brother. He looked down in the baby's crib and sneered.

"Why are you even here?" he asked the child. Daisuke's innocent little look made him want to smack the child around for the hell of it. At the time, the oldest son couldn't understand why he despised the baby so much. The boy always had a strong attachment to their mother though Haruka didn't feel the same about any of her children. In Yasuo's unconscious mind, he viewed his younger brothers as a threat in being number one in Haruka's favors. The boy even sometimes wished his father and brothers would disappear so it would just be him and Haruka.

Shichiro was the weakest of all the children. At times, he seemed to need someone to guide him in the right direction to keep himself stable. The little boy appeared to need something or someone to make him complete. Probably that was the reason why he stuck by Yasuo most of the time. Unlike most of the males in the family, Yasuo didn't really mind Shichiro following him around in a sense. Mind you, he found the boy annoying at times, but he saw some uses in his younger brother. It was rather safe to say that Shichiro became Yasuo's second-in-command.

Nobu was the quiet child of the family. He pretty much existed to keep the peace between brothers. He would end up taking care of the younger siblings as well. Nobu spent most of his time reading and just looking around at nature outside of their tiny house. Out of all three brothers, Nobu was vaguely the closest to the new baby. The boy was rather protective of his little brother. Today, he sat with Daisuke as he slept in his bassinet in the play room. Yasuo and Shichiro were goofing around and being noisy.

"Can't catch me!" the oldest brother yelled as he ran away from the second son. Nobu put his finger to his lips and tried to hush the boys.

"Could you please keep it down? Baby Dai is sleeping," he whispered. The boys stopped running around and went quiet. Shichiro bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice. Yasuo, on the other hand, snorted and walked off. Shichiro watched him head outside with a puzzled look on his face. He looked over at Nobu sitting on the couch.

"Why does he do that would you mention Dai-kun?" he asked. His younger brother shrugged at him.

"Did you try talking to him?" Nobu asked. The older brother shook his head.

"He wouldn't say," Shichiro replied.

Outside, Yasuo frowned and paced around. _Baby Dai, this! Baby Dai, that!_ _Why is it all about him?!_ He kicked away an empty glass bottle out of the pathway. Pretty soon, he would have another person that would come to despise in the family.

* * *

Aki and the Mother weren't satisfied yet with the offspring that Haruka and Akio were producing. Only two of the boys had potential in their blood. It would be safer to at least have one more potential sire. Aki waited in her human form on the front porch for the husband to return home from shopping. Akio froze when he saw the temptress smiling at him.

"Good evening," she greeted him. The man dropped the bag of vegetables and meats on the ground.

"Aki-sama…" he gasped. The kitsune put up her hand to silence him.

"I need another favor of you," she told him. Akio slowly shook his head.

"Oh no," he said rushed, "Haruka doesn't want to have another child. She'll kill me if she gets pregnant again!" Aki gave him a wicked smile as she rose to her feet and walked over to her puppet. His heart raced as her right hand cupped his cheek. Her eyes locked straight on his.

"It's okay," she said in her seductive whisper. "She won't harm you because she is attracted to you. You know this, right?" Akio gulped at her words. The kitsune worked her charm around her favorite puppet.

"I'm attracted to you too," she told him. His eyes widened with this bombshell.

"Y-Y-You do?" he asked.

"Uh-hm," Aki said in low voice. She leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. Heat trembled down his spine. His hands ached to reach up and hold her. The kitsune slowly pulled away. The husband opened his eyes and took in a breath. He gave her a long, slow nod.

"I'll do it," he said in softly. Aki smiled and tapped him on his cheek.

"Good boy," she cooed.

* * *

By 1966, Haruka found herself pregnant again. The day she learned that, she wanted to so loud in rage it would wake up the demons sleeping underground. Akio, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

"That's great, honey!" he exclaimed, embracing her in his arms. "I hope this one is a girl!" Haruka shoved her husband away with a shout.

"No, it's not!" she yelled. "This is not good! I don't want any more children!" Akio looked at her like a sweet little child.

"Please?" he asked. "I just want at least one daughter and then we can stop." His wife looked at him with the devil in her eyes.

"You said that last time before Daisuke was born!" she snapped. Akio put up his hands at her.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I mean it this time! I really do!" His wife leaned in close to his feet with an icy look in her eyes.

"This one better be the last one we're having!" she barked. "I will have your head if I end up pregnant again after this one!" Haruka smacked him on the arm.

"Ow," her husband said in a soft voice, "Okay, okay. I promise! This will be the last one!" The wife sneered and walked back into the house. Yasuo didn't take too kindly to the news.

"Why do we need more children here?" he asked. "Daisuke is annoying enough. I don't want another sibling!" Akio patted him on the head.

"Aw, don't be like that Yasuo-kun," he said. "You might come to love this baby." The twelve-year-old boy shoved him away. Nobu put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Calm down," he whispered. Yasuo snorted and walked back to the room that he shared with Shichiro. The other two boys welcomed the soon-to-be new addition with open arms. Nobu looked down at Daisuke in his arms.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered to the one-year-old boy. "You're getting a little brother or sister." He bounced the baby in his lap for a bit. Haruka felt like throwing up when she heard those words again. She shot another death glare at her husband. Akio gave her a rather sheepish look. The pregnant wife lowered her head on the dining table. She just wanted this little brat to be born so that she could get on with her life.

* * *

On February second, 1967, Haruka gave both to the couple's first daughter. Akio felt the pride of fatherhood rush through him again when he first laid eyes on her.

"She's so beautiful!" he gasped. His wife again felt no attachment to them just like her other four children. The nurses in the hall watched with great concern in their eyes. In fact, one of them knocked on the door. The couple glanced over to see the young nurse poking her head in the open doorway.

"Excuse me," she said in tiny voice. Haruka raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" she snapped. Akio rested his hand on her shoulder.

"There, there, dear," he said in her ear. He turned his attention to the nurse staring at them.

"Can we help you?" he asked in a calm tone. The nurse shuffled her feet before speaking.

"Kimoto-san, can we speak with you for a moment?" she asked made herself ask.

"Sure," Akio replied. He kissed his wife on the head and followed the nurse into the hallway. "You wanted to see me?" he asked once he was out of earshot of Haruka. The nurses didn't know exactly how to come out and address this to the father. The leader of the group stepped forward.

"It's just," she began. "Your wife doesn't seem too interested in your daughter." Aiko gave him a little smile.

"Ah, it's nothing," he brushed off. The nurses looked rather uncertain.

"But…" the leader tried to reason with him.

"It's just how she was raised," the father told them. "I'm sure she means well."

"But that isn't good for a child's growth," another nurse spoke up. Akio waved them all off.

"It's okay," he said. "The kids all have me. I can handle them." The nurses still weren't certain, but said nothing. Despite his words, five children became too much the couple to handle in that small house in the backwoods. Akio wasn't really sleeping much anymore. Due to lack of proper eating, he had started to look frail again. Seeing him like this became a moment of disillusionment. So much so, that it became Haruka's idea that they needed an escape.


	3. Thousand Knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One morning in March, Akio and Haruka abandon their children, leaving Yasuo in charge of them and the house.

_Chapter Three: Thousand Knives:_

Akio and Haruka's children awoke to a strange surprise the next morning. Shichiro first noticed it when he got up early that morning on March first, 1967. That day was mostly overcast, looking like it would rain. The whole house was silent and his parents' bedroom door was cracked open. The little boy poked his head inside and looked around.

"Mama? Papa?" he asked. Shichiro wandered further into the darkened room. Everything looked clean and in place. The bed didn't even look like it had been last night with it still being made up and cold. The little boy tilted his head confused.

"Mama? Papa?" he asked again. Shichiro walked out of the room and headed into the hall. The boy walked through the whole house and the yards before he realized that something wasn't right. He returned to the room that he shared with Yasuo and tried to shake him awake.

"Nii-san," he whispered. "Wake up! Wake up!" The oldest gritted his teeth as he rolled away from his younger brother under the sheets.

"Go away," he mumbled, "I want to sleep!" Shichiro didn't let up on the shaking.

"Mama and Papa are gone!" he shouted. Yasuo paused in his bed.

"What?" he asked.

"Mama and Papa are gone," the younger brother repeated. The eldest sat up in his futon with a frown on his face and his eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, "Where are you getting this crap? Don't lie!"

"I'm not!" Shichiro argued. "They really are gone! Come and look!" Yasuo narrowed his eyes at him in a glare.

"This better not be some stupid game you're trying to play with me," he mumbled as he crawled out of the futon. "I really want to go back to sleep!" The younger brother led the older to their parents' room. Yasuo looked inside at the darkness and flipped on a light switch. A wave of surprise came over his face when he saw that the now well-lit room was empty.

"Crap," Yasuo mumbled. "Where did they go?" He turned his attention to his younger brother standing inches behind him.

"Are you sure you can't find them anywhere?" he asked. Shichiro nodded his head up and down.

"Uh-huh," he said. Yasuo stood thinking for a little while.

"Oh," he said. He wandered out of the room and into the kitchen with Shichiro close behind him. They found a note taped to the back door. Yasuo spotted it and tilted his head rather confused.

"Hm? What's this?" he asked as he pulled it down from the tape. Shichiro walked under his brother, and looked up.

"What does it say?" he asked. Yasuo read it for himself first.

"Dear kids," he read aloud. "Mother and I went out for a while. Don't know when we'll be back. Yasuo, take care of your brothers and sister while we are gone." He lowered the note and frowned. _You've got to be kidding me!_ He glanced down to see his little brother looking at him with his tilted.

"Where are Mama and Papa?" he asked. Yasuo crushed the note in his hand as he clenched his teeth.

"It didn't say," he replied as he tried to stay calm.

"But why?" the little boy asked. His older brother took in a deeper breath to try and calm down.

"I don't know," he said. "Please don't ask me any more questions."

"But…" Shichiro began to say. Yasuo shot an icy glare at the nine-year-old boy.

"Shut up!" he barked. "I said don't ask questions!" Shichiro's eyes grew big with scared silence. The oldest son drew in another breath.

"Fine," he muttered. "Just one question for today and that's it." Shichiro trembled at his brother's rage just a few seconds ago. He almost didn't want to ask anything at this point.

"What do we do now?" he asked. Yasuo sighed and put the note on the table.

"Well, I have to look after you guys until Mama and Papa get back," he explained. "In fact, let's wait until the others get up to explain it to them."

"Okay," Shichiro said quietly. Both the boys sat down at the dining table and waited for the other children to find their way down to the kitchen. Around 7:30, one by one the children wandered down to the kitchen half-asleep. Nobu held baby Yumiko in his arms.

"Nii-san," he spoke up. "Where are Mama and Papa?"

"Sit down," Yasuo said in a serious tone. The third son led Daisuke over to the table. The oldest child prepared himself to break the news.

"They left," he said. Nobu blinked at him with a blank face.

"What?" he asked. Yasuo frowned as he tried to think of a better way to word to this to the younger children.

"Mama and Papa left us last night," he began again. "I don't know where they went and I don't know when they'll be back."

"But why?" Nobu asked. Daisuke looked at him with a blank looked on his face. Yasuo buried his head in his hands.

"I have no idea and asking me time and time again won't work. So don't do it, okay?" he replied. The thirteen-year-old didn't wait for an answer as he lifted his head. "Now, I will get you breakfast," he explained. "Go wash up and get dressed for school. I will take Daisuke and Yumiko to the neighbors for the day until I figure something out. Don't ask questions, just do it. Understand?" The siblings didn't answer as they hurried back down the hall. Nobu took Daisuke and Yumiko down the hall with him. The oldest watched them with a frown on his face.

_Why the hell am I stuck doing this?_ Yasuo went over to the icebox to look for something to try and make. He didn't really know how to cook, but he needed to give it a try anyways. Lucky for him, he found some milk and leftover rice and miso. Yasuo took a long second to stare at the contents in front of him and shrugged.

_Good enough_ , he thought. Yasuo pulled out all three items and got to work. Once the kids were dressed and cleaned up, they returned to the kitchen for breakfast. The oldest son gave the second and third son enough money for lunch that he found hidden in one of the drawers near the sink.

"Don't tell anyone about this," he told them. "If anyone asks tell them that they went to go see family for a few days, understand?"

"Okay," the children all said. The oldest brother folded his arms across his chest.

"Good," he said. "Now go wait in the living room while I go get ready to take you guys to school and a baby-sitter." At first, the boys stood there staring confused. Yasuo stamped his foot at them.

"What the hell are you all standing around for?" he barked. "Get moving!" The four children rushed to the living room as the oldest stared them down with an evil look in his eye. Yasuo gave himself a moment to calm back down. _Mom, Dad, please come back soon_ , he thought. _I don't think I can handle this much longer._ The boy went down the hall to clean himself up and got dressed for school. Shichiro, Nobu, and Daisuke all sat on the couch waiting. The second son looked over at his younger brothers.

"Why would Mama and Papa just leave us?" he asked. "Did we do something wrong?" Nobu shook his head uncertain as he held baby Yumiko in his arms. A minute later, Yasuo walked into the living room and looked at all four of his siblings.

"Everyone ready?" he asked.

"Yes," Shichiro and Nobu said together. The oldest brother felt much better for once today.

"Good," he replied. "Let's get going." Yasuo took Daisuke and Yumiko down the road to a local neighbor's house to watch them for the day. He pretty much had to convince the farmer's wife there to take care of them for the day. Once she agreed, Yasuo, Shichiro, and Nobu went off to school.

The rest of the day went as followed. Yasuo picked up Shichiro and Nobu from school. They stopped by to pick up dinner for the evening. The oldest son was lucky to still have enough money from that stash he found in the kitchen to get them something small enough to eat.

"We can't have anything big," he reminded his brothers. "There are four of us and one baby. We have to keep the rations small, you get me?"

"Yes," both boys answered. Yasuo folded his arms across his chest.

"Now that we understand that," he continued. "Since I am the one in charge, I am picking what we eat tonight." Shichiro and Nobu looked at him with big eyes.

"What?!" they cried.

"No complaining!" the oldest son snapped. "I'm the one in charge so I have to make the decisions here. If you don't like it, then don't eat. You understand me?"

"Yes," his brothers grumbled. Yasuo resisted the urge to smack them in the head for even complaining in the first place. The three boys went to the fish shop in town. Yasuo bought the cheapest tuna that he could afford.

"It smells," Nobu complained as he covered his nose and backed away. The first son gritted his teeth at him.

"You _don't_ have to eat it!" he hissed. The six-year-old boy drew his mouth closed. Once they bought dinner, the boys headed to the neighbor's house to pick up Daisuke and Yumiko. The farmer's wife said that they were well-behaved and gave them apan for treats. At home, Yasuo made dinner and prepared Yumiko's milk. Once they ate, he helped the older boys with their homework. By seven o'clock, he helped Daisuke and Yumiko change into their pajamas and get them into bed. The older boy went to bed themselves hours later. In his bed, Yasuo wondered when their parents would return. Unfortunately for him, only one of them would return two years later.


	4. Mono

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasuo beats on Daisuke, leaving Nobu to treat his wounds. Haruka returns alone.

_Chapter Four: Mono:_

_March 19th, 1968._

A whole year had passed. Fourteen-year-old Yasuo gritted his teeth as he grabbed the edges of the sink. Four useless kids; their parents left him in charge of them last year. Three boys and one infant girl left in his care. Shichiro could take care of himself now. Nobu, Daisuke, and Yumiko were still little kids and needy little brats at that. They always cried for food or attention. Top that with his kitsune manifesting at that age, he gave it his all not to kill them by now.

A knock came on the bathroom door. Yasuo gritted his teeth as he jerked his head upwards.

"What?!" he snapped.

"Nii-chan!" little Daisuke shouted as he pounded on the door, "Nii-chan! I have to potty!" The oldest son didn't fight to keep calm like had down in the past.

"Go away!" Yasuo yelled.

"I have to potty!" the little boy yelled at the top of his little lungs. Yasuo's eyes filled with a murderous rage by this point.

"Go away!" he barked again. "I want to be alone!"

"Potty!" the three-year-old shouted again. Yasuo gritted his teeth as the last bit of his patience snapped into two. He ripped open the door with such force that it shook the frame. The little boy backed away in fear as Yasuo's shadow towered over him. His brother breathed harder.

"I said go away!" he snapped. Daisuke began down trembling as his eyes welled up with tears.

"Nii-san, you're scaring me!" he whimpered. Yasuo glared at him like a raging bull when he happened to look down on the tatami mats. A small puddle formed at his little brother's feet. The fresh scent made his nose burn.

"You peed on the floor?!" he shouted. "You peed on the damn floor?!" Daisuke trembled in his puddle with big eyes.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Too late for pleading for mercy now; the oldest son already saw blood and murder with this little kid standing before him.

"You!" Yasuo shouted. The bull inside of him wanted to charge at the red teasing him in the puddle on the floor. Little Daisuke took off running in instinct and his brother gave chase like the bull inside of him.

"Get back here!" he yelled. "I'm going to beat your tail!" He grabbed the kid by the shoulder and pulled him up to midair. Daisuke yelped aloud in his tears as he struggled in vain to get away from the angry monster holding him up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he sobbed. His tears dropped onto the tatami mats in the living room. Yasuo growled at him as his nails sank into his little brother's right shoulder.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be!" he barked. He threw the kid straight down to the floor. Daisuke cried out in pain from the impact of that tatami material. He tried to get back up, but Yasuo stepped on his back. The little boy whimpered as his heel grinded into his spine. Yasuo sneered at him.

"Pathetic," he muttered. He flexed his arms for another beating for the day. He wouldn't even let the child look up at the coming violence. Yasuo took the first smack to boy's upper back. The three-year-old's screaming could be heard from outside.

\------

A few minutes later, seven-year-old Nobu wandered into the living room from the back yard. He found his younger brother lying on the floor crying in pain. The color drained from his face as he raced over to him.

"Dai-kun!" he cried. "Dai-kun! What happened? What did Yasuo-nii do now?" The little boy whimpered as Nobu picked up his brother. Daisuke forehead bled profusely under his blackish-brown hair. Nobu wiped the wound with his sleeve.

"Ooo," he said. "That's not good." Daisuke's tears grew heavier. He grabbed onto his brother's shirt.

"Hurt!" he yelped against the cotton fabric. "Hurt…" Nobu shushed him as he patted him on the head.

"It's okay. I'm here now," he whispered. "I'm here now. I'm here now." The boy cradled his younger brother. He rested his chin on his head and Daisuke slowly went quiet. He wouldn't let go of his brother's shirt. Nobu shushed him once more.

"Good, good," he whispered. "Good…" Nobu carried him down the hall to the bathroom. Daisuke watched his brother gather up the medical supplies from the cabinet as he sat on the counter. Nobu shook his head to himself.

"I say," he murmured to himself. "He didn't have to go all out. That meanie, he's just a bully in the end." He got out the band aids and peroxide and knelt down to the boy. "Keep still now," Nobu whispered. He dampened a small washcloth with the peroxide and dabbed it on Daisuke's wound. The boy winced as a soft whimper escaped his lips.

"Why?" he asked. Nobu paused and glanced at him.

"Why what?" he asked. Daisuke's big brown eyes welled up with more tears.

"Why does Nii-chan hate me?" he asked. Nobu gave him a look of sympathy.

"He doesn't hate you…" he said in a low voice. Daisuke looked desperate with big teary eyes. The older boy dropped his shoulders and sighed. Why bother lying? Yasuo always took out his frustrations on the younger boys. Daisuke took the most of the abuse. He didn't understand why. Yasuo wasn't like this when their parents first abandoned them last year. Nobu patted him on the head.

"Dai-kun…" he said. Nobu looked him in the eye. "I don't understand it myself," he said. "But, I don't hate you." Daisuke looked at him with teary eyes.

"You don't?" he asked. His brother shook his head smiling.

"No," he said. "I love you so much."

"You do?" the little boy asked with shock in his voice. Nobu nodded.

"I always will," the older boy admitted. He placed a band aid on Daisuke's forehead. He smoothed the boy's hair over it. "There," he said. "Good as new." Daisuke finally began to smile again. Nobu patted him on the head.

"There's that smile!" he cheered. The little boy chuckled.

Once he finished treating Daisuke's wounds, he dressed the boy in his pajamas and put him to bed. Around seven o'clock, Daisuke awoke to something brushing against his cheek. The little boy awoke to a stuffed bear in his face.

"Hm?" the kid asked. He looked and saw Yumiko holding up her brown teddy bear the neighbor gave her days ago. Daisuke sat up with a blank stare at his baby sister.

"For me?" he whispered. The child stared silently with the bear in her hands.

"Are you trying to cheer me up?" her brother asked. He slowly took the bear and held it to his chest. Yumiko stared at him as her older brother went to sleep. Between Nobu's care and Yumiko's attempt to cheer him up, Daisuke did have love after all.

\-------

Their parents still didn't come home and people started asking questions. It became harder for the boys to keep up with the lies. The neighbors gave the children clothes and toys out of sympathy. Despite trying to turn down, Yasuo ended up taking the gifts reluctantly. The gossiping people at school and in town didn't help either. However, the talk wasn't Yasuo's only problem.

Days before he beat Daisuke and gave him that scar on his forehead, the oldest son's powers had just started to manifest. A kitsune-tsukai in the Eda-Kimoto clan first manifests in their teen years when they make one wish. Days ago, Yasuo wished that he had enough food just to shut those kids up for the rest of the year. To his surprise, their fringe filled up with a year supply of food and milk. It actually frightened the thirteen-year-old boy when he saw it. His mother wasn't around to explain what was going on, so he didn't know what to do.

Each child had their own way of coping through the emptiness that their parents had left them with. Shichiro tried to hang out with his school friends while Nobu read in the back yard. Daisuke found his way to cope through his baby sister. But what about Yasuo? He never really did get time to rest. He was the one who had to do all of the chores and take care of the children while trying to keep up in school. By this point, he stopped caring about putting on a brave face for the family. If he had to hear his younger siblings ask for their parents one more time, he thought that he would scream and kill them all. The boy just wanted to disappear to somewhere with no people around and just be free. Every night when he made sure everyone else was asleep; he would crawl into the bathroom and scream into a towel just to keep what was left of his sanity. Tonight, he huddled up into a ball in the corner. The boy broke down into silent tears and stared at the ceiling.

_Mom, dad, when are you coming home?_ _I can't take this anymore! It's too much for me._ He happened to look and see Shichiro standing in the doorway staring at him. Yasuo tried to put on his tough, mean act.

"What do you want?" he asked. The little boy said nothing. His older brother snorted at him.

"Go back to bed and leave me alone!" he snapped. The eleven-year-boy said and walked away. The older child looked at him as he disappeared back to their room. Yasuo dropped his head in his lap. How much longer were their parents going to be gone like this?

\-------

Suddenly on March third 1969, Haruka came home. The children rushed over to greet her only to find two surprises. First, Akio wasn't with them and second, the woman held a baby girl in her arms. The children didn't know what to say at first. Nobu finally stepped forward.

"Mama, where's Papa?" he asked. Haruka frowned at him.

"Never mind that," she hissed. "Here is your baby sister, Kirika." For some reasons that they couldn't understand at the time, her children didn't ask any more questions and accepted the new baby into their family.


	5. Undercooled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka starts to show her ugly side to her children.

_Chapter Five: Undercooled:_

Now that Akio wasn't around, Haruka let her resentment of her children be known to them. She had kept it locked deep down inside for so long because of him. Before, her husband would attempt to calm her down when the angry beast within her wanted to smack or strangle one of the children.

"Come on, dear," he would say. "They are just kids."

"They still are annoying," his wife would complain.

"They don't know any better," he would counter with patience in his voice. Because of his tone and charm, his wife reluctantly drew back. When talking to her didn't work, the man took hold of her waist and squeezed her until she calmed back down. In the end, it all reminded her of why she found that weakened beautiful man so annoying in the first place. As far as Daisuke could remember, the Kimoto house became Hell on earth when their mother returned alone with baby Kirika. It was as if she was waiting to let loose her rage upon them. In a way, she was glad that her husband was gone; there was no one to hold her back from lashing out.

This Hell didn't happen overnight though; it built up in tiny bricks over the years. It started out small at first. The children couldn't remember a time when they _weren't_ yelled at. She practically could be heard outside. It could be the slightest thing like slipping juice and Haruka would scream at them until their ear hurt. The rules around the house became stricter and dimmed the joy around the atmosphere. Yasuo and his siblings couldn't understand what happened to their mother. The older boys remembered her being distant and hostile towards them, but she never was _this_ brutal. Even more so, she wouldn't tell them what happened to their father. Come to think of it, he never tried to call, write, or contact them in any way. It was as if he disappeared without a trace. Their mother never bothered answering any of their questions.

"Mama," Shichiro addressed her one day in June of 1970. "What happened to Papa? When is he coming home?" Haruka gritted her teeth at her vanity as she darted over to the mirror where the boy in doorway watching was her. These kids didn't seem to know how to let up.

"He's not," she hissed in a cold tone. She clenched her fists in her lap under the vanity. The ten-year-old tilted his head with an odd look on his face.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Why wouldn't he be coming back?" His mother slammed her fists against the vanity table.

"He's not coming back!" she barked. "So stop asking me and go away!" Shichiro's eyes widened in shock at the violent outburst. He stood frozen for a second before mumbling, "But…"

"Get out!" the woman shouted. Her second son ran away as fast as his little legs could carry him. Haruka breathed out and lowered her head from the stress.

_Those brats are so annoying_ , she thought. Just looking at their little faces reminded her that she would've been much happier being alone. However, it was so hard to do so when six children need you all of the time. Plus, the oldest one's powers started to manifest last year. Each day with her children annoyed her even more. As a result, the children did their best to avoid their mother when she was angry at them. Sometimes, that was easy to pull off and other times turned out to be rather predictable. Even through all of the yelling and coldness, their questions still wouldn't let up. The three older boys asked most of the questions. Daisuke barely remembered Akio while Yumiko was just baby when he left.

"Why won't she tell us about Papa?" Nobu asked Yasuo in the backyard. The oldest son shook his head. He didn't understand it either, but he had to try and keep Haruka from screaming at them all.

"She must have her reasons for not telling us," he tried to reason with him. "So, don't bring it up anymore." The younger boys looked at him as if he was crazy to suggest such a thing.

"But…" Daisuke spoke up.

"Don't ask any more questions about it!" the oldest snapped. The brothers drew their mouths closed. From then on, no more questions about Akio came up. In fact, he was barely even mentioned. The children would have had to deal with their mother's increasing rage. They had to hide what was going on from outsiders in fear of what she would do to them if word got back to her.

Each of them tried to find a way to cope with it. The boys used school as an excuse to get away from the developing hell of a home. Shichiro and Nobu even found some friends to talk to. They even tried to stay over just to avoid their mother. Everyone pretty much knew that something happened to Akio and everything wasn't so peachy at the Kimoto house. Yet, they kept this to themselves so not to startle the boys. Shichiro and Nobu did their best to keep a smile on their faces just to hide their pain.

Unfortunately, the girls weren't so lucky. They were too little to go to school in the earlier days of the Kimoto house hell. In fact, Haruka took most of her rage out on them. She seemed to be jealous of them in a way that outsiders would not understand. They were just little girls and they didn't know any better. Whenever their brothers looked kindly upon them, Haruka gave them an evil look. The three older boys were afraid to defend them because of it, but Daisuke boldly decided to care for them even at a young age. He pretty much became their shoulder to cry on. The boy was the one to read to them, play with them, and help them with their homework.

"Nii-san, why does Momma hate us so much?" Yumiko asked when she was three years old one evening in August 1970. Moments earlier, Haruka yelled at her for slipping milk on the kitchen floor. The poor little girl ended up hurled up in the corner crying. Daisuke found her after he came back in from playing in the backyard. Worry covered his face as he hurried over to her.

"What's the matter?" the five-year-old asked as he sat beside his sister. Yumiko looked up at him with big teary eyes.

"Aw," he said. "Was momma being mean again?" The little girl pouted at him as he took her into his arms and hugged her.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here now." Yumiko cried against his shirt. Once he calmed her down, he took her back to her room. Now, Daisuke gave her a little smile as he helped her get dressed for bed.

"I don't really know," he replied as he slid on her shirt. "But, I don't hate you."

"You don't?" she asked. The little boy shook his head.

"Nope," he replied. "In fact, I love you and Kirika-chan." His sister began to perk up when she heard him say that.

"I love you!" she chirped. Daisuke only laughed. Because of that, Yumiko and Kirika attached to him like Shichiro did with Yasuo. Haruka gave him more hell because of it, but the boy didn't care.

"You can't keep spoiling them like this," Yasuo told him one day in October of 1970.

"I'm not," Daisuke insisted. "I love them both."

"But you make mom mad because of it," his oldest brother pointed out.

"I don't care," the little boy said. Yasuo put up his hands.

"That's all you," he muttered as he walked away, the little boy walked back to his room. Speaking of the oldest son, he now did anything he could in his power to keep their mother happy. He pretty much became like a little annoying servant to her. His neediness with her came back stronger than ever. Haruka didn't take too kindly to this.

"Why do you keep clinging to me so?" she hissed one hot day in July 1973. The fifteen-year-old boy gave her a goofy smile as he watched her from the doorway.

"Because I love you, mom," he replied confidently. Haruka groaned and rolled her eyes as she fanned herself with her hand fan.

"Stop grinning, you little idiot," she muttered under her breath, "It makes me want to puke."

"Anything else you want me to do for you?" he asked ignoring her blatant insult.

"Go away," his mother complained, "You are so annoying." Yasuo kept her grin on his face.

"Okay!" he said. Haruka shook her head as her son turned and walked back into the house.

"You should be a little bit nicer to them," Aki murmured in her ear. Her mistress glanced over at her with narrowed eyes.

"Why?" she asked, "They are all annoying little dogs."

"Yes, but those dogs could produce our Mother again," the kitsune pointed out. Haruka groaned and rolled her eyes.

"The Mother, the Mother, the Mother," she complained. "It's always about the damn Mother!"

"But Yasuo-kun is already developing his powers rather beautifully," Aki pointed out, "I can feel Shichiro's powers starting to manifest soon." The mistress snorted over her tea.

"So?" she asked. Aki rested her body upon Haruka's shoulders.

"So," she went on, "It's in your best interest to use them like little tools. Think of it as having six little Akio at your beck and call." Haruka wrinkled her nose at the suggestion.

"That's just disturbing," she replied.

"Disturbing, but it works," Aki pointed out. Inside, Daisuke heard the whole conversation in the kitchen doorway. He couldn't see the kitsune sitting on his mother's shoulders and didn't understand what was going on. However, that didn't change the fact that he had knots in his stomach from what he heard. He somehow felt that it would only go downhill from here onwards.


	6. Amorph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little history on the Eda-Kimoto clan.

_Chapter Six: Amorph:_

Ever since Sen made a deal with the Mother kitsune, each member of the Eda-Kimoto clan has had their own kitsune that they control. All of them, including the Mother herself, all live in their tsukai's souls. Every forty generations, the Mother is reborn through a girl. The other thirty-nine generations in each cycle are copies of the original parent and die out easily. When the copy died, the tsukai died as well. Naturally, they didn't want that to happen so soon.

For ages, they tried to come up with ways to live the normal life span. At first, nothing worked. The copies broke down even though they were given human remedies. They even went to other shamans for help. When those failed, they decided to take in orphans and runaways as children in an attempt to keep the bloodline going. Ironically, the clan was considered the strongest of the villages that they lived in. Everyone came to them when they needed their loved ones healed or had disputes that needed to be settled. The clan took pride in their work, of course, but they couldn't let the people that relied on them know that they were dying. They did everything in their power to hide the truth and look for a way to live longer.

In the Meiji Era, the clan started to dip their hands in blood to stay alive. It all began with an accidental murder.

Their ancestor, Touya, fell in love with this young woman named Arisu when they were thirteen years old. He wanted to go out with her so badly; however, he was a shy boy and really didn't know how to deal with people so well. He couldn't gather up the courage to even introduce himself to her. In the end, Touya decided to watch over Arisu from afar. For years, he watched his infatuation grow up into a beautiful young woman. He even did nice things for her in secret. She could never guess who would give her extra sweets, find her lost things, or keep her safe at nights. Arisu had grown so beautiful that it caught the attention of other men in Kyoto, much to Touya's displeasure. However, he still loved Arisu and he wanted her to be happy.

"Why don't you step up and try to ask her out?" his kitsune, Konni, offered in August 1879. Touya waved him off.

"I can't do that," he said. "I don't have it in me!"

"Then let me do it," the kitsune offered. The master gave him a harsh glare.

"No!" he snapped.

"Okay, okay," Konni said quickly. "I was only joking!"

"It wasn't funny!" Touya said back.

"Fine," the kitsune said pouting. Unfortunately, the days of watching his love from afar would come to a crashing end in violence.

One evening in November 1880, Arisu was going home from a friend's gathering. Touya watched her walk up to her front door from the shadows. It looked like a normal night once more. She would just go inside, take a bath, and go to bed. However, tonight would derail everything for all parties involved.

Suddenly, a strange man wandered over to the young woman from the garden where he had been hiding. He had an empty bottle of sake in his hand and his face looked just as red. Arisu gave him a strange look as she started to back towards her front door.

"Hello?" she asked, "Uh… Can I help?" This drunken man lunged forward and tried to put his arms around the small woman's waist. Touya watched with horror at the scene that was unfolding before him. This sleazy man tried to seduce Arisu by kissing her on the cheek, but she refused because she was to marry a nobleman in three nights and wanted to stay a virgin until then.

"Come on, honey," he muttered, "I just want to give you the pleasure you deserve."

"Please get off," she pleaded as she struggled to get away, "I already am getting married to another and he wouldn't like it if I slept with another man behind his back." This other man then got angry and tried to rape Arisu.

"Bitch!" he shouted. The man smacked her across the face and shoved her to the ground. He ripped her kimono wide open to the cool November air. She fought back in vain.

"No!" she screamed as he held her down on the ground. "Please don't do this to me! You'll bring shame to us both! Stop!" The drunken man smacked her across the face again with much heavier force to quiet her. Touya couldn't stomach the thought that his object of desire was about to be violated. He had to do something before his beloved died.

_Arisu-chan's in trouble_ , he thought. _I have to help her!_ He drew in a deep breath and made his first move for her. Touya closed his eyes, held out his hand, and summoned his kitsune to the rescue. The silver pet appeared before him when he opened his eyes, Touya toughed his resolve to rescue his beloved.

"Konni!" he commanded. "I offer my blood in exchange for your services! Please save her!" He drew out a small knife from his obi and cut his hand and offered it up to his kitsune. Konni leaned down and licked up the blood. Touya breathed in as he felt his life slipping further away than it already was. Once Konni had finished receiving his payment, he floated back with a smile on his face.

"Yes, master," he said. Touya watched as his kitsune sailed over to the man as he was untying his pants. He paused and looked up to see a white cloud darting towards him.

"What the-?!" he asked in a shout. The kitsune went straight for his throat with a wide-open mouth. The blood came pouring out onto the ground. Arisu looked up in confusion and horror as this cloud was tearing away at her would-be rapist. Konni did the job _too_ well; he killed both the would-be rapist and Arisu herself when she jumped in to break up the fray. When he had returned to its master, Touya raced over in terror to Arisu's dead body now coated in blood. He mourned in horror at what he had done.

"What have you done?!" he screamed at his kitsune. Konni bowed his head at him.

"I am so sorry," he said. "Please forgive me!"

"Return at once!" the tsukai commanded.

"Yes, master," the kitsune said before vanishing into thin air back into the young man's soul. Touya held Arisu's body in his arms and broke down into heavy tears. He didn't mean to kill her, but then something strange happened. His kitsune had come back out on his own and started eating Arisu and the attacker's souls. Touya was appalled at first.

"Konni, don't!" he yelled. "You know that is taboo among all kitsune-tsukai. Do you want to bring dishonor among us all?" The kitsune didn't listen; he just kept eating.

"I can't help it," Konni replied as he finished up the would-be rapist's soul. "They've drawn me to them." His master was about to protest when his heart started to pound hard against his chest as if he had been running for miles. He clenched his shirt and began panting as the dizzying air came closing in around him.

_What's… happening… to… me?_ The young man thought that he was going to pass out.

Suddenly, an ecstatic feeling came over young Touya. You see, he was close to dying in three weeks. He could feel it all over his body in his heart and lungs. Each time a member of the clan in the thirty-nine generations used their power, it drained at little bit of their life away. Yet, they didn't know how to stop. Their power was their life and without them they would die unless the kitsune found a way to feed. Any later than this would've brought Touya's expiration date closer to six more days. He hadn't even married nor had any children.

However, Touya was healthy as a normal twenty-year-old as his kitsune kept eating the two souls trying to float away to Meifu for judgment. The man's heart and lungs became much better on his body. _I can breathe better_ , Touya thought. _And my chest doesn't hurt anymore._ He couldn't grasp the situation at the time; it wasn't possible that he ever could. He looked over at his kitsune.

"Konni," he said. "Do you feel that?" The kitsune chased and kept Arisu's soul and began devouring it.

"Uh-huh," he said.

"What is it?" his master asked.

"Don't know," the kitsune replied. "But I feel great; better than my body has ever been." Touya began to smile as he began to connect the dots. He leaned down and kissed Arisu's body on the lips.

"I'm sorry, my love," he whispered, "And I thank you for giving me new life." By the time the kitsune had finished eating; Touya's health went back to normal. It was then the clan all resorted to human souls for survival.

At first, the family would eat the souls of the people in the villages that had just died. The tsukai tried to keep the growing to a minimal so as not to be noticed. As a result, the tsukai found themselves getting healthier, stronger, and living the normal lifespan as the rest of Japan. To the clan, this arrangement was good enough. Soon, that wasn't enough for the kitsune. They wanted more and fresher souls. Within ten years, the clan began to drip their hands in blood with murder all to keep their precious pets happy. The whole county couldn't understand what happened to the once proud stone of their villages. No one even knew how to stop them.

In the 1970's, Haruka began to teach her boys the way of their clan; all much to her displeasure.


	7. Returning to the Womb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke bonds with his younger sisters.

_Chapter Seven: Returning to the Womb:_

Daisuke in time took comfort in his younger sisters. Because of them, life in the hellish Kimoto house became much more bearable on him. They even gave him the courage to survive their mother's abuse. He and the girls got along really well. He acted like a father to both Yumiko and Kirika. They in turn followed behind like little pets. The boy enjoyed walking them to school and back. He would comfort them when Haruka took out her rage on them. He snuck them small presents and gave them plenty of attention. Daisuke, Yumiko, and Kirika were pretty much together during the summertime. When their older brothers wouldn't go anywhere near them, Daisuke was bold enough to show them in some way that they were loved. One thing their brother liked about them was the different personalities between the two girls.

Yumiko was more of a tomboy. She played sports throughout her school life. The girl found herself pretty popular at school and had many friends. She practically did anything to defy her mother such as wearing make-up and flirting around with boys. She really stuck it to her when she asked questions or even mentioned their father. Haruka didn't like the fact that her older daughter stood up to her with her abuse. The fact that she resembled her late twin sister in appearance and personality made her burn with anger just to see her face every single day. The older daughter didn't seem to care what kind of abuse or threat that Haruka threw at her day-in and day-out. Yumiko even wasn't afraid to express how she felt about her mother.

"She's just an evil bitch," she complained to Daisuke when she was twelve years old. They sat on the porch enjoying a long boring summer day. Yumiko flopped back onto the porch and spread out her arms.

"I mean; why does she hate us so much?" she asked. "Is she afraid that we're going to replace her or something? It's just so stupid! You know what I mean?" Her brother tried to shush her as he nervously looked around. He had to count in his head to calm himself back down before lying back down on the porch again. The tomboy raised an eyebrow at him as she twirled her hair between her fingers.

"Why are you so afraid of Momma?" she asked. "She's just a desperate old hag that hates us ever since Papa left us." Daisuke looked at her with big eyes. Their mother had ears in the walls and her kitsune spying on them constantly. If one wrong thing said got back to her, more hell awaited them later on. However, he had never heard such a thing being said around here before.

"Who told you this?" he asked. Yumiko rose to her feet from the porch and walked out onto the grassy yard.

"Jin," she replied. Daisuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"My kitsune told you?" he asked. The older brother narrowed his eyes at her. "But how?" he asked. Usually those in the clan who haven't manifested their power yet aren't able to see or how the kitsune of others and those around them. Yumiko giggled at him.

"That's my secret!" she chirped. Daisuke still looked confused as his sister's laughed reached the high summer sky. At last, the boy couldn't help but smile. Moments like that reminded him of how much he liked his sister's mischievous side. That girl loved to mess with him from time to time. Sometimes, it annoyed him, but in the end he went with it and loved her just the same. He sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"Alright," he said. "You win." The long navy-haired girl laughed even louder into the summer day.

Kirika was much softer than her sister. She was a shy and gentle little girl. She played with her dolls and read books. The baby of the family always hung around with her brother. Kirika wasn't really good at dealing with people, especially strangers. She didn't really have as many friends as her sister did, but she talked to people once she warmed up to them. Daisuke loved to shower her with little gifts and attention while Yumiko protected her from their mother. Many times, the little girl told them they were her most favorite people in the world. Kirika envied her sister for being so much braver than she was.

"I wish I could be like Nee-san," she told her brother as he was washing her hair outside of the tub in October. Daisuke glanced down at her as he picked up the bucket of warm water to rinse her off.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. The little girl shrugged her shoulders.

"She's so brave," Kirika said, "When Momma hits her, she doesn't even cry." Daisuke thought about that and nodded.

"I guess that would be good," he confessed. Kirika smiled and nodded at him.

"Yes," she said. Daisuke happily sighed as he saw stars in his eyes. _Oh, she is so cute!_

However, one person didn't take too kindly to the closeness between the siblings. Haruka already resented her daughters. What made it even worse was that they turned to their brother when she did something to harm them. Because of this, Daisuke felt confidence in himself. The cold-hearted mother couldn't have this.

_He needs to know his place_ , she thought with spite. The woman then sorted out to harm her youngest son in the cruelest way possible.

One day in August before the paradise became truly lost them, Daisuke took his sisters on walk during their summer break. Kirika hung onto his arm the whole time. Yumiko puffed up her cheeks at her sister.

"Get off of him, Kirika!" she barked. The younger girl gave her a goofy smile.

"No!" she said. Yumiko gritted her teeth.

"It's just childish!" she argued. "Get off of him now!"

"No way!" the little girl said aloud and stuck out her tongue at her sister. Yumiko growled at her.

"Dai-kun!" she wailed. "Make her stop! She just looks ridiculous hanging on your arm like that!" The older brother laughed at her protests.

"Oh, come on, Yumiko-chan," he said, "She means well. Kirika-chan's just fine." The baby sister grinned at the older one. Yumiko puffed up her cheeks and pouted.

"Fine," she grumbled. Daisuke chuckled as they rounded the corner. Moments later, a thought crossed his head.

"Say, would you both like to get ice cream?" he asked. Both girls instantly perked up.

"Yeah!" they both cheered. Their brother smiled as he tried to calm them down.

"Okay, ice cream it is," he said.

"Yay!" the girls cheered. Daisuke took them to their secret favorite ice cream place and bought them ice cream cones. The trio discovered this place by an accident while they were trying to avoid their mother when she was in a foul mood. The kids were a bit hungry at the time, but Daisuke didn't have any money. The man there let them have one scoop for free out of sympathy. Even since then, this ice cream place became their refugee on hot summer days such as this one. Today, he even slipped them some extra toppings on the down low today. They sat outside and enjoyed them in the summer heat. The whole time, Kirika kept giggling to herself beside of him. Daisuke glanced down at her.

"Something funny?" he asked. His baby sister smiled as she shook her head. Her brother suspected otherwise, but said nothing. Yumiko pretended not to see or hear a thing as she ate her strawberry-mint ice cream. Kirika ate while she waited for the right moment. When she was certain that he wasn't looking, Kirika reached into her shorts pocket and stuck a little gift in her brother's pocket. Feeling the fingers go inside, Daisuke quickly turned his head downwards. His baby sister gave him a sweet little look on his face.

"Hi," she said with a little smile. Her brother raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay," he spoke up. "What did you put in my pocket?" The boy reached inside without giving her a chance to talk. To his bewilderment, he pulled out two flat little silver keys on a thin red string. He looked at his sister rather puzzled.

"Kirika-chan," he said. "These are the keys to your diary." The eleven-year-old girl nodded at him.

"Yep," she said. Daisuke tilted his head at her.

"But… why are you giving me these?" he asked.

"They're a present," she chirped.

"A present?" the brother repeated.

"Yep!" the baby bragged. Daisuke slowly shook his head as he tried to hand back the keys.

"Oh, no, I can't take these," he said. Kirika pushed his hand back towards him.

"Please?" she asked ever so sweetly.

"But that would mean I would be able to open your diary whenever I wanted and read what's inside," he pointed out. Kirika gave him an innocent shrug.

"It's okay," she said. "I trust you." Daisuke gave him a small frown.

"You're sure about this?" he asked.

"Yep!" Kirika said with a nod. The older brother looked over at Yumiko. She put up her hands as if to say, "I have nothing to do with this." He turned back to his other sister who was giving him a sweet little look. Daisuke's face just dropped. _I can't win against them, can I?_ The boy finally dropped his shoulders and sighed.

"Fine, I'll take them," he said. Kirika grinned and hugged her brother wildly.

"Thank you!" she cheered, "That makes me so happy!"

"Hey, hey!" he said. "Finish your ice cream before it melts." His sister quickly let go of him.

"Oh, right," she said. The young girl went back to eating her sweet, cold treat. Daisuke sat there and smiled. The three of them didn't know that would be the last "gift" that she would ever give him.


	8. Seven Samurai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke finds a new source of escape from his home life.

_Chapter Eight: Seven Samurai:_

Daisuke found another way to escape from their hell at home. Sometimes, he just wanted to be alone. It was so hard to do with six children in a house with a rage-filled mother. The young man snuck out of the house one day in search of peace and quiet. While out on his walk, it began to rain. Daisuke ran in the streets looking for a place to stay and wait it out.

He came across an old-looking building. Daisuke stared at the inviting doors. _This would be much better than going home._ He shrugged and went up to the door.

"Hello?" he whispered as he opened it up a crack. "Excuse me. I'm coming in." Daisuke took slow steps inside. The smell of silver and old licorice filled his nose. The thirteen-year-old boy covered his nose and took a step back.

_What is this place?_ Somehow, the boy felt drawn further into the darkness in front of him. He used Jin's eyes to adjust to the darkness. A puzzled look came over the boy's face. Vintage posters decorated the back walls. Daisuke could recognize a couple of them for American movies. He tilted his head.

_Wait_ , he thought. _Am I… in a movie theater._

"Seems that way," Jin replied.

"Has this always been here?" his master asked.

"Beats me," the kitsune said. "So what do you want to do?" The boy shrugged at that question.

"We might as well stay," he muttered. Daisuke walked up to the ticket booth inside and peeked in the window.

"Hello?" he whispered again. "Pardon the intrusion, but I'm staying here for the night if you don't mind." The boy didn't see or hear anyone inside and quietly walked into the first screening room that he saw. All of the seats inside were empty. Daisuke's let his eyes return to normal as he walked down the aisle. He came down to the front row and took a seat. In a few seconds, the picture started up again. The boy watched with big surprised eyes at what he saw.

On that day, the theater showed Kurosawa Akira's _Scandal_. The first thing to catch Daisuke's eyes was the motorcycle opening. Throughout this experience, confusion and awe came over his face. _Scandal_ came out years before he was born and here this theater was showing it in the 1970's. That really wasn't on the boy's mind at the time. The lead actor, Mifune Toshiro, drew him into a world that looked so cool on the screen. Jin watched the movie for himself and looked rather puzzled.

"What's so great about this?" he whispered. His master waved him off during the trial scene. The kitsune drew his mouth closed and let the boy watch the movie. At the end, Daisuke had a new face of awe.

"Jin," he whispered.

"What?" the kitsune asked. Daisuke turned to him with an excited look on his face.

"I think I'm in love with this place," he said in complete awe. The kitsune didn't get it.

"Okay…" he murmured. Daisuke decided to make it his personal mission to come back here whenever he can.

So, every time Haruka's violence became unbearable and his sisters weren't with him, Daisuke snuck off to that old movie theater. From there, he developed a love for Kurosawa Akira's movies. _Scandal_ and _Stray Dog_ became his personal favorites. His kitsune didn't understand the appeal.

"Why do you like these old movies so much?" he asked. Daisuke only shrugged him off.

"It comforts me," he reasoned as they watched _Seven Samurai_ in secret one winter night. "This is my alone time." Jin didn't even bother to ask any more questions. However, this alone time came at risk three days after his fifteenth birthday.

An old usher was walking around checking the semi-empty theater for trash when he spotted Daisuke after he let off a loud gasp during _Drunken Angel_. The old man flashed his light on the boy. The only customer in this screening room shielded his eyes rather surprised. The usher gave him a rather confused look.

"Young man," he whispered. "Do you have a ticket?"

"Uh…" Daisuke muttered rather sheepishly. The old usher frowned at him. He grabbed onto the boy's arm and walked him out of the old movie theater. Daisuke looked up at him with big beseeching eyes.

"Please let me stay here," he pleaded. "I don't want to go home quite yet."

"I'm so sorry, pal," the old man told him. "But I have to do this." Despite the boy's pleas and reasoning, he shoved Daisuke out the front door in the end. The fifteen-year-old looked at the old man pitifully. The usher shook his head in sympathy.

"Next time buy a ticket, buddy," he told him before closing the big glass doors. Daisuke lowered his head and started the long walk home. However, the next day, he returned with enough money to stay for most of the day. The woman at the ticket booth greeted him with a smile.

"Welcome, Daisuke-kun," she said. The boy smiled and gave her money for his ticket. Sometimes, he stayed over to help the people in that old theater. Kurosawa's films built up a haven around him. Sadly, it would all come crashing down around him by the time he was seventeen.


	9. Aurora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yumiko and Kirika meet their violent ends and Daisuke doesn't find out until too late.

_Chapter Nine: Aurora:_

Things started to get uglier for Yumiko and Kirika towards the end of their short lives. It started when one of Haruka's neighbors got a new dog that wouldn't stop barking. The young couple and the old lady fought constantly about it.

"Shut that damn dog up!" she always yelled at them in the morning.

"Mind your own business, grandma!" the husband barked. Apparently, he didn't know who he was dealing with. Haruka didn't take too kindly to his insults and decided to get a little revenge. That evening, she went out and bought antifreeze. By morning, she had the perfect pawn in mind. She waited in the kitchen to set her plan into motion. The baby of the family happened to have the misfortune to come down their first. Haruka listened as tiny feet made it into the kitchen. She smirked as she looked up to see Kirika in the doorway. The little girl panicked as she started to back away. Haruka put up her hand to stop her.

"Kirika-chan," she addressed her. The little girl froze with big eyes.

"Come here," her mother commanded. Already, the baby didn't enjoy where this could possibly go.

"Y-Yes?" she asked.

"Come closer," her mother ordered. Not seeing any other choice around this, the little girl reluctantly did so. Haruka gave her a cold smile.

"I have a little job for you," she told her.

"A job?" Kirika asked.

"Yes," Haruka replied. She pulled out a small cup and shoved it towards her daughter. "You're going to take this sausage to the neighbors' dog and feed it to them," the mother told her. Naturally, Kirika's face went pale.

"Feed him?" she asked.

"Yes," her mother said. "Make momma proud." There was something so threatening in her voice. Haruka smirked as Kirika nodded once at her words.

"Good girl," her mother cooed. "Now get going." She watched as her daughter reluctantly took the cup off the table and headed out the front door. Kirika marched on as if walking to an execution. Luckily for her, the young couple living next door to them wasn't home. The little girl peeked over the wooden fence.

"Puppy?" she whispered. "Here, puppy, puppy." The black and white Japanese Chin raced over to the gate. The little girl already suspected that her mother did something to the sausage inside the cup. However, she couldn't turn back around and face her mother through failure. Kirika reached down and pat the little dog on his head. The child swallowed as her stomach turned in knots. _I'm so sorry_ , she thought. Kirika reached down and slid the cup through the fence. The dog sniffed the meat and ate up. In seconds, he froze, crumpled up, and started to die before her eyes. The poor child backed away and screamed.

_What have I done?!_ Kirika ran all the way home in tears. Daisuke ended up trying to comfort his sister after she told him everything that happened. He looked up and saw Haruka watching them from across the hall. He glared at her as she smirked.

Haruka seemed to punish Daisuke for everything that he did wrong by tormenting his sisters. Ever since he failed his first kill for his kitsune, the abuse of Yumiko and Kirika grew worse. For vomiting after watching their mother kill a target, she practically starved her daughters for five days. Sometimes, the mother would get her sons to join in tormenting them. Yasuo happily went along with it just to keep their mother happy. Shichiro and Nobu, on the other hand, reluctantly went along with it just so Haruka wouldn't torment them as well. Despite all of the torment and pain, the girls didn't blame their brothers one bit.

"Are you mad at me?" Daisuke asked in the backyard one September night. Kirika cuddled up close to her brother.

"No," she replied.

"It's not your fault," Yumiko told him. Daisuke smiled such reassuring words.

"We love you," Kirika said. He patted them both on the head.

"I love you both too," he said. The girls giggled at his words as he smiled at them. Haruka watched them from inside the house. It annoyed her that her youngest son found the strength to stay together through his sisters. She wanted to see him crumble into another puppet like her older sons did. Watching them gave her a cold idea as she smirked.

_You love your sisters, huh?_ _Let's see how well you survive without them around!_ Aki appeared by her side.

"What do you desire to do, mistress?" she asked. Haruka giggled like a flirtatious hooker.

"I will need your help with a little cleaning," she said as she began to plot her cruelest plan yet.

Around February 11th, 1982, Yumiko went missing around ten A.M. At first, nothing really rose of this. The fourteen-year-old girl did run away to her friend's house to escape from the Kimoto House hell before. After about four days however, something didn't seem right. The only one who was alerted by this was Daisuke. He tried to ask Haruka about his sister. Their mother shrugged over her tea.

"She probably ran away from home," the old lady brushed off. Though his face didn't show it, something in Daisuke told him not to believe her. The next morning, he secretly went to the police after school to report his sister missing. As he walked down the hall, he wasn't the only one worried about Yumiko.

"Did she do something to nee-san?" he heard a small voice asked behind him. The seventeen-year-old boy looked up to see Kirika peeking out from her bedroom. Her older brother dropped his shoulders as he didn't even bother to lie. He leaned in close to his younger sister's ear.

"Yes," he whispered. "I think that she did something to Yumiko-chan." The twelve-year-old girl looked up at him with big eyes.

"I'm scared, Dai-kun," she murmured. Her brother reached past the door and patted her on the head.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I will be here for you." Haruka happened to hear him from the other end of the hall as she planned part two of her cruel plan.

Things only got worse for Daisuke's paradise when on Valentine's Day of 1982, the news reported that the burned and bloated remains of a schoolgirl around fourteen to fifteen years old was found in an open field. They didn't have a match to fingerprints and they were still working with dental records to identify the body. The whole time, Daisuke feared the worst.

_Please don't let her be dead_ , he thought to himself every night. However, in his heart, he already put the answer of who the body they found was.

Around April, Kirika disappeared from her route to her school for a class trip. Again, only Daisuke was really worried. Against his better judgment, he asked his mother what happened to his other sister. Haruka didn't even look up from paying the bills.

"Oh," she cooed. "She probably ran away too." This time, Daisuke knew she was lying. That wasn't in Kirika's character. She was too meek and timid do something as bold as running away. That girl would rather cling to her brother than leave. Based on all that had happened with his sisters so far and his mother's nonchalant replies, he knew that something awful has happened to them. Just like with Yumiko two months earlier, Daisuke secretly went to the police after school to report Kirika missing. His brothers wouldn't even tell him anything when he asked.

"Please make this easier on yourself," Nobu told him in the early morning hours, "Don't ask unnecessary questions." Daisuke couldn't really take that answer sitting down when who knows what could have happened to Yumiko and Kirika.

"But who would do such a thing to Yumiko-chan?" he asked. "And where is Kirika-chan?" Nobu gently placed his hands on his shoulders.

"I can't answer that for you about Yumiko-chan," he said. "But I'm sure that Kirika-chan will come back home to us one day." That tone in his voice alone told him that was a lie. The youngest brother was still determined to learn the truth.

But Daisuke wouldn't have all the answers until the early summer of the same year.


	10. Break With

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke learns the horrible truth about his family and runs away from home.

_Chapter Ten: Break With:_

_June 3rd, 1982._

Daisuke awoke to a cruel surprise that morning. First off, it was dead silent in the house. Haruka would usually be yelling at Yasuo in the mornings. That was the first thing the youngest son noticed. At first, he thought he was dreaming. He pinched himself on the hand. His kitsune appeared beside of him.

"Something wrong, Dai?" Jin whispered. The boy shushed him as he waved him off.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. The kitsune took a listen.

"I don't hear anything," Jin answered. He turned to his master.

"Daisuke…" the kitsune spoke up. Daisuke got out of his futon and wandered around the house.

"Hello?" he asked as he looked around him. "Anybody here?" The boy looked around as no one answered. A chill danced up his spine. Maybe they've left for good and he's all alone now? No, even that would be too much of a dream. So where are they?

Suddenly, Daisuke happened to look out the kitchen window and see smoke. Curious, he walked to the back door for a better look. He noticed that his mother was dumping a box of stuff in a fire pit in the backyard. At first, Daisuke thought nothing of it. She was probably cleaning out the house. That was until he noticed a familiar fluffy pink bunny being sacrificed to golden yellow flames below.

_That's Kirika's bunny_ , he thought with big shocked eyes. It didn't take long for the boy to piece together what was going on. He raced outside to his mother in fear.

"Stop!" Daisuke cried out as he ran over to his family as fast as he could. Haruka and the boys all paused and looked up. The youngest boy stopped to catch his breath.

"Stop!" he cried again, "What are you doing?! That's Kirika's bunny!" His mother sneered at him.

"For fuck sake, she and Yumiko are never coming back!" she yelled. "It's time to forget about them!"

"No!" Daisuke argued. He tried to save what was left of his sisters' belongings from the famished flames. He just about made it to one box when Yasuo tackled him to the ground. Daisuke yelped in pain.

"Get off me!" he cried, "Let me go!" He struggled to get away as Haruka dumped another box into the growing fire.

"Keep still, runt!" Yasuo growled as he sat on his brother to keep him pinned to the ground.

"No!" Daisuke shouted. The boys tussled on the ground even more. Yasuo tried to use his weight to keep the seventeen-year-old from moving around. The other sons watched silent.

"Make this easier on yourself," the third son said quietly. Usually, that command worked. But today, Daisuke resisted his brother's calm voice. Something in the youngest son completely broke down and snapped. He shoved Yasuo off of his body. The oldest son fell backwards with a thud. Daisuke scrambled to his feet and raced to one of the boxes. He snatched up the nearest thing his fingertips could touch. The boy would've grabbed more if Yasuo hadn't come up behind him and roughly yanked him away. Daisuke fell to the ground with Yumiko and Kirika's birth charms clutched in his hands. Haruka was now pissed.

"Give those to me!" she snapped.

"No!" Daisuke protested.

"I said give those to me!" his mother yelled.

"No!" her son screamed as he held the charms to his chest.

"You!" Haruka snapped. Anger was visibly boiling in her eyes, her muscles tightened and the boys knew she snapped. She picked up her bamboo cane and began to beat the youngest. The force infused within the bamboo stick made her anger be visibly known from the bruises she left on Daisuke. Bruises everywhere, on the head, the legs, the back and anywhere else she would guide her stick to. The other boys watched as the lashes kept coming. Daisuke would've usually folded by this point to stop the pain. This time, something in him just wouldn't take his mother's abuse anymore. He couldn't explain it at the time, but this was all he could do to fight back.

Daisuke tried to go to school as if nothing happened. For first time in years, he couldn't ignore the eyes locked on him. They all gave him this judgmental look that screamed, "Murderer" at him. Their whispers made his stomach ache.

_Please don't look at me like that_ , he thought. _I'm not a monster like my mother. I'm actually a nice guy. I didn't choose this as my life._ He could barely eat during lunch. His teachers showed great concern for him.

"Dai-kun," Kuga-sensei addressed him. "What's the matter?" The boy tried to make himself smile like he always had.

"Nothing," he lied like his brothers taught him to. "I'm fine." This time, his homeroom teacher didn't believe him.

She rested her hand on his shoulder, "Please see me after class." Daisuke looked at her with big silent eyes. _She knows something is wrong_ , he thought. Despite the order, the boy went straight home. As he walked home alone that hot summer day, a realization woke up in his mind.

_That woman killed my sisters_ , she thought, _And I could be next._ The boy froze in place and shook his head. _I don't want to die!_ He needed to do something to stay alive. But what could he do? Only one thing came into his mind. When he got home, he acted as if everything was "normal" in that place. His brothers ignored him just as their mother ordered them to. He didn't even get dinner that night. As he took his bath that evening, Daisuke began to map out what to do next. The water calmed him enough to think. He would have to be quick in order to execute this. He drew his eyes closed and gathered up his nerve.

_I can do this_ , he thought. After his bath, Daisuke climbed out of the tub and hurried straight to his room. He peeked through the open crack.

"Nobu?" he whispered. "Are you sleeping?" When he didn't get an answer, the boy slowly pushed open the door and crept inside. Daisuke pushed his dark blue backpack onto the futon and started packing. He made sure to pack only what he needed such as clothes, his homework, and little personal items. Daisuke kept Kirika's bracelet and diary keys well-hidden in his jacket. Those were the only two things that Haruka couldn't get her hands on this morning. Once he was packed, the seventeen-year-old boy took one more look around the room. Going out the front or the back doors would draw too much attention he pondered. He needed a quick and clean escape. Only one answer came into his mind.

_I have to try_ , Daisuke thought. He readied himself to go out the bedroom window. The boy took one more look over at his older brother. Lucky for him, Yasuo and Shichiro already moved out and got married. Nobu only stayed over because he was visiting home for the summer. Plus, Haruka could practically sleep through anything. Daisuke steadied himself to the small closed window.

_I only have one chance at this._ The boy unlatched the window and pushed it open inch by inch. He looked over his shoulder the whole time at Nobu sound asleep in his futon. If he woke up and caught him, the man would try to convince him to give up on this plan. If Daisuke refused, the older brother would turn him over to their mother. The boy tried to shake himself of those thoughts and shoved his backpack out the window first. Once he heard it hit the grass, Daisuke pulled himself together and pushed his head out the open window.

"Need some help?" Jin whispered.

"Thanks," the boy whispered back. The kitsune gave him just enough of a nudge to go get the rest of his body out the window. Daisuke hit the ground and landed on his hands and knees.

"Ow," he muttered to himself. Not how he wanted to get out, but he got his wish. Daisuke pushed himself up to his feet, grabbed his backpack, and began the run down the dirt road. He didn't even bother to look back at that house.

"Where to now?" Jin asked as he flew behind his master.

"Doesn't matter!" the boy yelled back. "I have to get out of here."

"So, you don't know, do you?" the kitsune questioned him.

"Shut up!" Daisuke hissed. Jin drew his mouth closed as he sailed behind his master.

"Alright," he muttered. In fact, there was only one place that Daisuke could take of running to now. The boy ran all the way to his high school and pounded on the glass doors. He didn't know why he chose to come here all places, but he felt that was the only place that he had at the time. Jin shook his head as he smirked.

"It's nighttime now," he said. "Who the hell is going to be at the school now?" To Daisuke's surprise, Kuga-sensei just happened to exit her classroom when she looked up and saw him pounding on the door. A surprised look came over her face before she raced over and pushed open the door.

"Dai-kun?" she asked. "Where have you been? What are you doing here?" The boy swallowed before he gathered up his words to answer.

"Actually," he admitted to his homeroom teacher. "There is a problem at home." She gave him both a sympathetic and questionable look.

"You want to talk about it?" she asked.

"I do," the boy admitted.

"Come with me," the teacher told him. She walked him back to the teacher's office. Once inside, Kuga-san prepared him some green tea in the kitchen area of the office.

"Here," she said. "Drink this."

"Thank you," the boy muttered. He took the cup and took a big sip. His stomach growled loud enough to be heard from the hallway. He gave off a nervous laugh as Kuga-sensei eyed him.

"Have you had anything to eat at home?" she asked. The boy hung his head in shame.

"No," he muttered. His teacher turned his head to face her.

"You wait right here while I get you something to eat, okay?" she said. The boy lowered his head.

"I am so sorry for this," he said in a whisper.

"It's okay," Kuga-sensei told him. "After you eat, we can talk, alright?"

"Alright," Daisuke replied.

"You stay right here," his teacher told him. She turned and went out the hallway to try and get him something to eat. The boy slumped back into his chair. Daisuke's paradise he discovered with his sisters might have been lost now, but there would soon be a chance that another one would be regained again in the next year.


	11. The River Must Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke adjusts from his new life from home.

_Chapter Eleven: The River Must Flow:_

Kuga-sensei got him set-up in a student dormitory near the school. She explained to the principal about Daisuke's living situation. At first, they rejected the idea.

"There must be something we can do for him," his homeroom teacher pressed.

"Why not call child services?" her boss offered.

"It's the Kimoto family," the teacher whispered. The principal drew his mouth closed.

"Oh," he murmured.

"Can't you help him?" Kuga-sensei asked.

"I'll see what I can do," the principal replied. Hours later, Kuga-sensei greeted Daisuke in the hallway.

"Well?" he asked. The homeroom teacher bowed her head at him.

"Come out with me," she said. Daisuke watched as she walked ahead of him down the hall.

"Sensei?" he asked in a small voice. The boy followed behind rather curious. She led him out to her car and they drove about five miles from the school. Kuga-sensei pulled up to an old-looking building covered in vines. Daisuke looked out the window and tilted his head.

"What is this place?" he asked. "Why are we here?"

"This is a student dormitory," she said. "You will stay here for the time being." Daisuke looked at her with big eyes.

"You mean…" he began to ask. The teacher calmly nodded at her.

"This is only temporary," she said. "We are still trying to figure out what to do with you." Daisuke tried to keep himself down as he nodded.

"Thank you," he said.

"You will stay in room 318. I will send the paperwork to you in morning," Kuga-sensei told him as she handed him the key to said dorm, "You have a good night now."

"You too," Daisuke said. The boy bowed and climbed out of the car. His teacher drove off and left the boy standing at his new home. Daisuke and Jin looked up at the tall building in front of them.

"It's okay," the kitsune told him. His master walked up to the glass doors and walked inside. They took the stairs up to the third floor. Daisuke unlocked the door to 318 and went in. The room itself was pretty much vacant with two twin beds, desk, and a dresser. The boy didn't really care at this point. He set down his backpack by the bed near the cubby-sized bathroom and dropped onto the bare mattress. It didn't take him long to into a rhythmic snoozing.

By morning, Daisuke awoke to someone shaking him on the shoulder. At first, he rolled over on his other side mumbling.

"Go away," he murmured. "I had a long night last night."

"Hey," a voice whispered as the shaking continued. "Get up. Get up!" The other rolled upwards and slowly drew open his eyes. A boy about his age looked down at him. Daisuke blinked and gave him a rather odd look.

"Uh… who are you?" he asked.

"Are you Kimoto Daisuke?" the boy asked. Daisuke slowly nodded at him rather confused.

"Yes…" he answered. "Why do you ask?" The other boy handed him a small stack of forms.

"Kuga-sensei stopped by and asked me to give you these," he said, "You can just turn them into the front desk when you're finished. I'll be in the mess hall having breakfast if you need anything." Daisuke nodded at him.

"Okay…" he mumbled. "Where is that?"

"It's on the first floor at the main entrance," the other boy answered, "Go down the stairs, turn to your right, and just hand them in when you're finished." Daisuke nodded in understanding.

"Okay, thank you," he replied. The other boy turned and walked out of the room. Daisuke sat up and read over the form in his hand. It donned on him what exactly he was looking at.

_These are my residential sign-up forms_. Daisuke looked around the room and spotted a pen sitting on the desk. Without another thought in his head, the boy rushed over to the desk and got to work reading and filling out the papers. One minute later, he headed out the door and down the stairs. A man in his early-forties waited in the office to give help and advice to the students living in the dormitory at the time.

"Yes, can I help you, young man?" he asked. Daisuke shoved his papers forward on the desk.

"I was told to give these to you once I finished filling them out," he said. The old man took them and read over the paperwork. He glanced up at the soon-to-be new resident staring at him with a smile.

"No problem," he said. "We will have your data entered by this evening."

"Thank you, sir," Daisuke said with a bow.

"You better hurry," the manager of the dormitory told him. "Breakfast will be over in thirty minutes." Daisuke looked over at the clock when he said that.

"Oh crap!" he muttered. "Uh… bye!" The boy turned and ran to find the mess hall. By that afternoon, Daisuke became new resident at Gin Hoshi Dormitory. He hoped for a fresh start and peace from the hell he ran away from. However, fate will not be so kind to this boy.


	12. Forbidden Colours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke meets Daisy and Allison and bonds with both. However, his relationship with the latter leads to unforeseen consequences.

_Chapter Twelve: Forbidden Colours:_

It all started with two girls. It all started back in June 13th, 1982. Daisuke had settled into the dorm life rather easily. It surprised him about how calmer things were now that he didn't live in Kimoto House anymore. Kuga-sensei stopped by once a week to check on him. Even his roommate became like a brother to him. Daisuke was just happy to have peace in his life for a change.

However, Jin became bored with this new life. The kitsune rolled around on his master's bed.

"I'm bored!" he complained. Daisuke tried to ignore him as he did his summer homework. The kitsune frowned at the lack of response.

"Entertain me!" he complained.

"Go away," Daisuke murmured. "I'm busy here." The kitsune rose up from the bed and leaned on his shoulder. His master tried to shove him off.

"Stop," he whispered. Jin glanced up at him. Daisuke puffed up his cheeks and rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" he hissed. Jin glanced up at him like a sweet little baby fox.

"Take me out today," he pleaded. Daisuke rolled his eyes.

"But I have homework to do," he said. Jin nudged him in the arm.

"That can wait until later," he said. "I want to go out now!"

The master lowered his pencil. "Then will you shut up?" Jin gave him an innocent little nod. Daisuke sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said as he closed up his notebook and textbook. "But we aren't staying out long!"

"Whatever," Jin mumbled. Daisuke rose to his feet and walked out the door.

That day was a rather muggy one. Daisuke wished that he could be back inside already. _Why did I let him talk me into doing this?_ Too late to complain now; might as well make the most of it. The boy looked around for somewhere cool to hang out in for a little while.

He wound up on the other side of town. The boy came across a store that sold ice pops. A smile came across his face as he leaned into the glass. From here, his fate to his lost paradise took a different path.

Daisuke happened to look over to his right and see a girl about his age waiting outside of the store. She looked American with her dark brown hair to her shoulders. The boy had to turn around and get a better look. She had on a yellow sundress to her knees. The colors showed off in the high sun in the cloudless sky. Daisuke couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"She's cute, isn't she?" Jin whispered. The boy shoved him off and walked over to the girl standing inches away from him. She happened to look up when she heard his footsteps. Daisuke froze up on the spot.

"Uh… hi…" he said in his best English. The girl tilted her head at him.

"Hello," she said. The two teens stared at each other for what felt like the longest time. Daisuke shuffled his feet. Jin rolled his eyes next to him.

"Say something, idiot," he hissed in the boy's ear. He pushed his master a step forward. Daisuke looked up to see the confused American girl staring at him. That boy had never seen eyes so blue before in his life. He felt like he was staring into the deep Sea of Japan. Daisuke tried to make himself talk.

"Uh… are you new here?" he asked. His English came out sounding rather strangled.

"Hm?" the girl asked.

"Are you new here?" Daisuke asked again. It took her close to three minutes to understand what he was saying.

"Oh, Am I new here?" she repeated backed.

"Yes," Daisuke replied.

"Yes," the girl replied. "Yes, I am."

"What is your name?" the boy asked. The girl looked away with slightly pink cheeks.

"Daisy," she said in a small voice. "Daisy Kessler." Daisuke began to smile a little bit.

"I'm Kimoto Daisuke," he introduced himself. Daisy let down her guard as he bowed to her. To his surprise, Daisy did likewise.

"You know Japanese manners so well," he said.

"My father's been to Japan before," she answered. At first, Daisuke didn't understand what she was saying.

"Your father?" he asked.

"Yeah," Daisy replied, "He's an officer in the army."

"Oh!" the boy said nodding, "I see." Daisuke had no intention of marrying in the future, or engaging in any romantic relationships after having solidified his will to be the last of his bloodline. Yet his feelings got the best of him as he stood before this pretty woman. Emotions always had a funny way of complicating things, Jin smirked to himself at the sudden change in Daisuke.

"Ooo, someone has a crush!" he cooed.

_Shut it or we'll go home!_

"Sheesh, I'm kidding," the kitsune replied.

"So," Daisuke said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm waiting for a friend."

"Ah," Daisuke said. Daisy looked at him with her head tilted.

"And what about you?" she asked. The boy blinked at her rather confused.

"What about me?"

"What are you doing out here?" Daisy asked. It took him a little way to get what she was saying.

"Oh!" he said. "I'm just taking a little break from doing some summer homework." Daisy gave him a puzzled look at that statement.

"You have homework over the summer?" she asked.

"Yeah," Daisuke admitted. "We're on summer semester right now."

"It seems strange," the American girl admitted. "I have never been to a place where you had school on Saturdays and during the summer."

"Really?" Daisuke asked looking rather puzzled.

"Why yes," Daisy replied. "Back in California, school is only five days a week and we're off during most of the summer."

"All summer long?" he asked.

"Yes," Daisy replied with a nod. The boy gave off a low whistle.

"Having the whole summer off," he said. "That must be nice."

"Yes, it is," she replied. "But I think school is much better." The boy only smiled and nodded at her.

"Daisy!" a girl's raspy voice yelled. "Let's go! I'm done now!" The pair turned to see another girl walking out of the store with iceies in her hand. She didn't look as pretty as Daisy herself. Her short red hair looked really cut up with her dark blue shorts and white t-shirt. Her friend perked up at her.

"Allison!" she said as she raced over to her. "What took you?"

"The stupid clerk tried to rip me off," her friend complained. She looked over the girl's shoulder and saw Daisuke looking at them.

"And who's this?" she asked.

"Oh, this is Daisuke," Daisy replied. "I just met him a little while ago."

"Hi," the boy said as he gave them a saw wave. Allison stared at him and snorted.

"Whatever," she grumbled. "Let's go." Daisuke watched as the girls started to walk away.

"Wait!" he called. Daisy and Allison turned and looked at him.

"Yes?" the former asked. Daisuke stood up straighter before him spoke.

"When can I see you again?" he asked. His new friend perked up at that question.

"We'll be back next weekend," she said.

"Same place?" he asked.

"Maybe," his new friend replied. Allison tugged her on the arm.

"Come on," she murmured. "Let's just go before they start wondering where we are."

"Oh, right," Daisy said in a small voice. Daisuke watched as the girls hurried away down the street. A small smile came onto his face.

"Daisy's cute," Jin said beside him, "Her friend… not so much."

"Shut up," his master muttered. The boy turned and walked back to his dorm.

From summer onwards, Daisy and Daisuke had to see each other. Before he knew, a love relationship bloomed between them. Love makes people do things on an impulse. Daisuke was rather surprised to learn this for himself on the twenty-first of June. They were walking around a park when he could not hold back anymore.

"Daisy, please marry me," he said. She gave me the strangest look as she stopped in her tracks.

"What?" she asked. Daisuke froze and turned when he realized what he just asked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he brushed off quickly. "It was just a stupid thing. I'm so sorry!" To his surprise, Daisy gave him a little smile.

"No, no. It's fine."

"So, will you?" he asked. "Not now, of course, but later on?"

"Of course," she said. Daisuke felt like flying.

"Thank you!" he said with a quick bow as his cheeks turned bright red. Jin rolled his eyes.

"Oh boy…" he muttered to himself. His master chose to ignore him. Shortly after the proposal, early wedding plans began. As they kept talking, one serious condition came across Daisuke's mind that he couldn't keep to himself anymore.

"Hey Daisy-chan," he said one afternoon on the beach. His girlfriend looked at him as she tried to keep her hat on in the rising winds. Daisuke gathered up his courage as he looked at his fiancée in the eyes.

"I don't want children," he confessed. Daisy looked as if she had been crushed with a huge weight.

"What?" she asked.

"I just don't want children," he repeated.

"But why not?" she asked. Daisuke lowered his head as he prepared to explain the truth.

"I can't explain the truth right now," he said. "Please, trust me on this." Daisy's lower lip whimpered.

"Daisuke…" she said in a small voice.

"Please?" her fiancé pleaded. Daisy lowered her hand in disappointment.

"Alright," she said. He took her into his arms and held her.

"Thank you," he whispered. However, his plans would come unraveled on July first. Daisy was the ball to set the ball running.

"Honey," she said. "Let's go out on a double date this week." Daisuke looked up at her rather confused.

"Huh?" he asked. She leaned in close to him on the dorm's lawn.

"It'll be you, me, Allison, and she'll get a guy with her," the girl explained. His face looked rather pale when she saw that.

"Allison?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "Is something wrong with that?" Daisuke waved his hand back and forth as he shook his head.

"No, no!" he said quickly, "It's fine, but where's Allison going to find a date?" Daisy smiled and gave him a little shrug.

"I'll see what I can do," she replied. Daisuke gave off a nervous laugh when she said that. _How the heck…?_

To his surprise, his fiancée managed to pull it off. On that Thursday, Daisuke waited for the trio at the bus stop close to three o'clock. He looked at his watch, a gift from his father long before he went missing.

_They should be coming here right about now_ , he thought. He knew that sometimes his fiancée ran ten minutes late tops.

"Daisuke!" he heard someone shout. The boy looked up to see his girl and the other couple hurrying over to him. He stood up smiling.

"Daisy-chan!" he said aloud. "I'm so happy to see you!" She raced over and gave her boyfriend a big hug. Daisuke laughed as he caught her. She gave him a small peck on the lips. Her boy looked over her shoulder to see Allison with a shy-looking blonde-haired boy. His cleared his throat as he let go of Daisy.

"Hello Parkman-chan," he said. "And…"

"Stevie," the boy mumbled.

"Oh," Daisuke said. He already felt sorry for the guy. _How did he end up going out with her?_ Daisy clapped her hands together.

"Okay!" she said aloud, "Now that we're all here, shall we get going?" She turned her attention to her date. "When is the bus getting here?" Daisy asked. Daisuke checked his watch again.

"If it's on time today, about ten minutes," he answered.

"If?" Allison questioned in a sharp tone.

"Yes," he said. "If."

"It's okay," Daisy cut in, "It's fine, really it is." Allison drew her mouth closed in a frown. Once the couples got on the bus, things became a little bit easier to handle. Daisy cuddled up to Daisuke for the whole ride.

"So where are we going for this date?" he whispered. Daisy looked up at him with those grayish-blue eyes of hers.

"Just downtown," she replied, "And maybe the beach."

"Sounds nice," he said. The boy glanced over at the seat behind them. Allison didn't seem to want to connect with her date. Stevie himself looked like he would rather be anywhere else than here right now. In fact, the poor guy looked like he wanted to run away. He gave him a look of sympathy.

"Think he's going to be okay with her?"

"Hm?" Daisy asked as she looked behind them. She gave the couple a little smile.

"They'll be fine."

Daisuke gave her a rather odd look, "You sure about that?" he asked.

Daisy gave him a little kiss on the nose and said, "Its fine."

"Okay…" he mumbled uneasily. His girlfriend held his hand. The date turned out to be nice. The four teenagers spent the daylight hours in the shopping district and the beach. Daisy enjoyed herself the most as she looked at cute things like jewelry, clothes, and stuffed animals. Daisuke was happy to buy it for her.

"Are you sure this is okay?" she asked. The boy nodded with a smile on his face.

"Of course," he said. "I got a new job last week."

"You did?" she asked.

"Yeah," Daisuke said. "I finished my shift this morning since the school is closed for a paint job."

"Is that okay with your school that you're working?" his girlfriend asked.

"I got permission from them due to my situation," he answered.

"I see," she replied. Allison and Stevie on the other hand weren't having such a great time.

"When can we go home?" the former complained.

"Come on, Allison," her friend said. "It's fine. We still have to go the beach."

"Seriously?!"

"Yes," her friend said in a chipper tone. Allison groaned and rolled her eyes. Daisy gave her boyfriend a little smile and shrug. However, the beach trip got canceled when it started to rain.

"Oh no!" Daisy cried. Daisuke shielded her with his jacket.

"Now what?" Allison asked. Daisy's boyfriend looked for the bus.

"We can go back to my place," he offered.

"You sure that's okay?" Stevie shouted over the pounding rain.

"Yeah!" the other boy said back. "My roommate's out of town until Sunday!"

"Alright," Stevie said back.

"Whatever," Allison mumbled. They all hopped the bus back to Ginko Dormitory. Daisuke provided his party with towels and dry clothes. Daisy and Stevie went down to the dining hall to look for something warm to drink. Meanwhile, Allison and Daisuke were left in his room alone together. The loner tomboy reached under her jacket and pulled out a bottle of beer. The Japanese boy stared at her with big eyes. She glanced over with annoyance in her eyes.

"What?!" she snapped. Daisuke quickly shook his head.

"Nothing!" he said quickly as he waved his hand back and forth. "Nothing!" She narrowed her eyes at him and handed him the bottle. Daisuke gave her a blank look.

"But I don't drink," he said. Allison didn't let up with that frown that never seemed to leave her face. The boy quickly put up his hands in a panic.

"Okay, okay, I'll take it!" he said quickly. The boy took the bottle from her hand and took a sip. His face reeled with bitter shock.

"Yuck!" he shouted. "What the hell is this?!" Allison sat beside him crackling. Daisuke gave her a dirty look.

"You knew that would happen, didn't you?" he asked.

"No, you're just a wuss," she said. Daisuke frowned as he puffed up his cheeks at her.

"I am not!" he hissed. Suddenly, he realized something.

"Hey," he said. "That's the first time I ever heard you laugh."

Allison raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that a problem?"

Daisuke smiled as he shook his head. "Nah, It's just nice for a change." Allison leaned back and smiled, not in a creepy way, but in a rather nice way.

"Hey," Daisuke spoke up. "Could I have another drink?"

"Sure," Allison said as she handed him back the bottle. Meanwhile, Jin decided to use this situation to his advantage. Jin sat invisibly in the air and closed his eyes.

"Yes, mother," he said, "I understand." He let his own magic swallow him up and pull the strings between the drinking and talking teenagers.

By morning, Daisuke awoke naked in his bed with a killer hangover.

"Damn…" he muttered to himself as he sat up in the bed. It donned on himself that he wasn't alone when he placed his hand on what felt like a body beside of him. The boy froze and he looked down against his better judgment. To his horror, he found Allison Parkman naked and sound asleep next to him.

_No, no. Please, no!_ The panic began to spread as Allison stirred awake next to him. She looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"What the hell happened?" she asked in a groggy voice. Daisuke shook his head as he struggled for something to say. Needless to say, the pair vowed to never speak of this again and pretend it never happened. However, fate just loved to mock Daisuke so much.

Three weeks later on the twenty-second of July, Allison came by Daisuke's school alone to break the news to him.

"Allison-san," the boy addressed her. "What are you doing here? Where's Daisy?"

"I'm pregnant," she admitted. Daisuke looked as if he had been hit by a bus.

"What?!" he asked with big eyes.

"I'm pregnant, you asshole!" the red-head shouted at him. The boy shook his head.

"No!" he blurted out. "I can't have this! They will drag me back!" He quickly grabbed her by the hands, "You have to get rid of it!"

"What?" Allison asked.

"Please?" he asked. Daisuke reached into his shorts' pocket and pulled out a fistful of yen.

"Here, I've got the money," he said. Despite her own questions for this, Allison took the money.

"Fine," she said. "I'll do it." Daisuke bowed his head.

"Thank you!" he said aloud. Four days later, Allison ended up shipped to a boarding school in Hokkaido for reasons he didn't know at the time. By August, Daisy's family were reassigned to San Diego, California. Unable to handle a long-distance relationship, she and Daisuke decided to end things mutually. However, the story didn't end there.

After the earlier hours of March 2nd, 1983, Daisuke received a knock on his dorm door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he muttered as he climbed out of bed and opened the door. An old-looking nurse with a raincoat stood on the other side holding a tiny newborn baby wrapped in a pale yellow blanket in her arms. The boy blinked at her rather oddly.

"Uh… can I help you?" he asked. The middle-aged woman handed him the sleeping child.

"This is your baby," the nurse answered. Daisuke looked up at her with big blank eyes.


	13. Railroad Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke deals with being a new dad and school life.

_Chapter Thirteen: Railroad Man:_

_March 4th, 1983._

Three-day-old Anna slept peacefully in an open drawer Daisuke used for her since he didn't have the money to buy a decent crib. Daisuke sat on his bed watching her. Eighteen years old with a baby. He lied back on the bed and sighed. Suddenly, he heard the door open. The boy slowly lifted his head to see his roommate walking into their dorm.

"Hi," he said sounding bummed out. His roommate tilted his head at him.

"What's the matter, Dai?" he asked. The other boy sat up and nudged his head over to baby Anna. The roommate looked at her.

"Oh," he mumbled. "That bad?" Daisuke nodded and sighed.

"I don't know what to do with her or myself," he spoke up. "I'm just stuck." His roommate looked at him in sympathy. He walked over to the bed, sat down, and patted Daisuke on the back.

"Have you talked to anybody?" he asked. Daisuke looked at him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Like whom?" The roommate shrugged at him, clueless.

"I don't know," he said. "Just anyone." The other boy shook his head.

"My problems are too big for that," Daisuke replied.

"Ah," the roommate answered. Then an idea came into his head.

"Make a journal," he suggested. Daisuke looked at him oddly.

"What?" he asked. "How will that help?" His roommate nudged him on the arm.

"It's better than nothing, right?" he replied. Daisuke thought about that for a moment.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt," the boy mumbled. His roommate smiled and nodded.

"See? There you go!" he said. "What would you do without me?" Daisuke gave him a little smile.

That afternoon when Daisuke went to the local store nearby to begin his new job, he happened to walk by the aisle of tape cassettes. He remembered what his roommate suggested earlier that day. The young father dropped his shoulders. Guess it couldn't hurt, he thought. He used his paycheck from last month to pay for the set of tapes and the recorder before he headed back home. In his dorm, he set everything up and hit record on his bed.

Tape Entry #1:

_March 4th, 1983. I don't know where to begin on this, but my name is Kimoto Daisuke. I'm eighteen years old and a single dad. My daughter, Anna, was brought to me three days ago by hospital officials from Sapporo, Hokkaido. As you can expect, I don't know what to do. That's not my only problem, however._

He sighed and remained silent for some time, like he was collecting his thoughts.

_I don't know… This was my roommate's idea. I'm more lost about doing this than before I started. Still, I have to keep going. So here goes. My life is a mess; I have many dark secrets._

He took a long pause on the recording.

_It's my family._

His voice dropped into a whisper.

_They are the Eda-Kimoto clan. Yes, that's right. I am a kitsune-tsukai descended from a long line of tsukai. My heritage dates back to the Nara period as I have been told many times. We employ foxes to give us our powers and do our bidding in exchange for giving bribes like food, protection, or sex as a price. Sometimes, we give them blood as a payment. According to our family history, our ancestor, Sen, was to marry this farmer's beautiful daughter. Her name escapes me at the moment, but she was always a sickly girl. Many thought that she would die soon. Afraid for her life, Sen desperately searched for a way to save his fiancée. That's where this story changes._

_Sen made a pact with a powerful kitsune. This kitsune would save his wife-to-be if every forty generations; a daughter would be given to the great kitsune as payment. Sen agreed and thus the birth of our bloodline. We started out pure at first, but somewhere in the Meji Era, out family became corrupt with the taste blood and power._

End Tape Entry #1

Daisuke hit stop on the recorder and flopped back onto his bed. He squeezed his eyes shut when he heard his daughter crying beside of him. He sighed and sat up.

"Coming, honey," he muttered before getting up and tending to Anna. After changing her diaper and feeding her, Daisuke realized something. _This dorm isn't a good place to raise a baby_ , he thought. He needed to get out of this place and go somewhere else. However, he didn't know where he could go. He talked with his homeroom teacher about the notion.

"Are you sure about this?" Kuga-sensei asked. "Where do you plan to go?" The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know," he said. "I'll think of something."

"I still think you should stay here," she said. "The school will accommodate you since you have a baby." Daisuke shook his head.

"This isn't a good place for my daughter. I don't even have enough money to support us both. The local baby drive is nice, but I feel like I'm imposing on all of you too much."

"Don't be silly!" his teacher remarked. "It's fine."

"Even so, I have to try and live on my own after I graduate," he said. "I figured that I may as well start now. I already have a part-time job; I'll figure out the rest."

"And there's no way to talk you out of this?" she asked.

"Thank you for all that you have done," Daisuke said in a quiet voice. He stood up, bowed, and walked out of her office. By evening, the boy cleared out what little he had from his dorm, took his daughter, and headed out to parts unknown.


	14. Haru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke and baby Anna show up on Kato's doorstep.

_Chapter Fourteen: Haru:_

_March 11th, 1983._

Kato found himself woken up in the middle of the night by a loud pounding on his front door. The old man walked down the hall, mumbling in aggravation.

"Hold your damn horses!" Kato yelled. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" He made it to the front door and slid it open. An eighteen-year-old boy stood in the rain looking inside. He looked like a high school senior. His blackish brown spiky hair had been neatly cut to his collar. The boy still had on his school uniform. In his arms he held a sleeping little ten-day-old baby. The boy held an umbrella over the both of them. Kato looked at him with bags under his eyes.

"What do you want?" he mumbled half-asleep.

"Please sir!" his guest pleaded. "My daughter and I need a place to stay for the night! Can you put us up?" Kato stared blankly half out of it. His eyes turned to the baby, she looked so little and cute with her pink cheeks in her father's arms. The baby slept peacefully wrapped up in her little yellow and white blanket. Just seeing her stirred something in Kato's frozen heart. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist-full of yen.

"Here," he said. "I've got the money!" Kato looked on in silence as he kept his eyes on the baby. He waved off the young man.

"Keep your money," he said. "You can stay here as long as you want."

Daisuke looked at him with big surprised eyes. "You mean that?"

"Yes," the older man replied. "Now get inside before I change my mind." Daisuke quickly nodded.

"Right!" he said. The boy took the baby inside with him. Kato set up a room for the baby and her father in one of the spare rooms in the house.

"You eaten yet?" the old man asked of his new tenant.

"Huh?" the younger boy asked. "Oh, no."

"I'll be right there in a second to fix up something quick," Kato answered.

"Oh no, it's fine," Daisuke replied, "I'll manage."

"Nonsense," the old man insisted, "Father and child both must be in good health. You stay right there." Daisuke nervously pressed his lips together. _Okay then…_ Something told him that it would be rather pointless to argue. Kato came down kitchen and fixed him up some left over rice.

"It's not much," he said placing the dishes before Daisuke. "But it'll do for now."

Daisuke looked up at him with a rather confused look on his face. "I don't understand it."

The old man paused and looked at him. "Don't understand what?" Daisuke stared down at his bowl of rice.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "You don't know anything about me and yet you let my daughter and I in. Just… why?" Kato rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. Daisuke looked up at him with big eyes. Kato smiled as he shook his head.

"It's too late into the night for that discussion," he whispered. "I'll save my questions for the morning, okay?" Still uncertain, Daisuke slowly nodded his head.

"Very good," Kato said with a little smile. "Now, eat you rice before it gets cold." Daisuke quietly picked up his chopsticks and started to eat. After his late dinner, the boy took a bath.

"I already have pajamas laid out for you on your bed," Kato said from the doorway.

"Thank you," the boy replied in the tub.

"Good deal," Kato said. "See you in the morning."

"You too," Daisuke said back. After his bath, the boy changed into the pajamas and went to bed.

_March 12th, 1983._

Kato showed Daisuke around the quiet village the next morning. The eighteen-year-old held eleven-day old Anna close to his chest as she slept. Kato wondered about his new guest. What is a high school boy doing all the way out here in the sticks with a baby? Daisuke seemed like a teenage runaway. Kato wanted to ask, but decided not to for the time being.

_He'll talk when he's ready_ , Kato resolved as he watched the young man change his daughter's diaper just an hour ago. Daisuke and his baby stayed quiet for the entire tour around the neighborhood and fields as he observed everything. The men came back to Kato's house by noon. The man turned to the boy with the baby in his arms.

"So," Kato summed up. "What do you think?" Daisuke pondered everything that he had learned just hours before.

"No one comes looking for anyone here?" he asked with his eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Kato answered. "The city police don't even bother us here."

The boy raised an eyebrow at him. "So you house criminals here?"

"No," the old man said. "Rarely any person your age or younger comes here."

"Why is that?" the young asked. now intrigued.

"The village is pretty hard to find most of the time. Only when found on accident do we old timers get any young people like you here," the older man explained. Daisuke nodded as he prepared to ask him the _big_ question.

"And this village is all on consummated ground?" he asked.

"Yes, the main priest has blessed this village himself every year," Kato answered with confidence in his voice. The boy began to smile after he had all the facts that he needed.

"Great," he said. "We'll stay." Afterwards, Daisuke headed off to school. Kato, just like his neighbors, had many questions for the boy.

"Has anyone reported him missing?" Kyoko asked her friend as she drank tea at her kitchen table. Kato shrugged and shook his head.

"No," he replied.

"That's strange," she said. "What do you plan to do with him?"

"Let him stay," Kato answered before he took a sip of his green tea. Kyoko looked at him with concerned eyes.

"Iwao," she said. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You don't know anything about this kid or his daughter."

The old man sat back in his chair. "He'll tell me when he's ready." Kato looked over and noticed that his friend still looked uneasy.

"Look," he said. "It'll be fine." Kyoko held onto her cup with tight grip.

"Just," she said. "Be very careful." Kato sighed and shook his head, smiling.

"Very well," he replied, "Very well."

March 18th, 1983.

Daisuke awoke early that morning in that room that Kao rented out to him with a reoccurring thought that wouldn't stop nagging him. Pushing it out of his mind did little good. He only knew of one way to fix that. Daisuke reached over to the nightstand and pulled out his tape recorder. Once he set up, the boy hit record.

_Tape Entry #14:_

_My name is Kimoto Daisuke. I'm eighteen years old and a single dad. I can tell Kato-san is wondering why Anna-chan and I are in his house; I can see it in his eyes. Could I tell him the truth?_ _Should_ _I tell him the truth?_

_He paused._

_I don't think Kato-san would believe me. At least I can say it here. So, here goes._

_He again paused._

_I think my mother killed my sisters; I know that she did. I know how she and my brothers are. I'm not surprised that they would stoop so low! I don't know the exact details just yet, but all I know is this: when Yumiko vanished, I asked mom what happened to her. She said that Yumiko had run away; I suspected that she was lying. When Kirika vanished, I asked mom what happened to her. She said that Kirika had run away; I_ _knew_ _she was lying._

End of Tape Entry #14

When he was finished, Daisuke got up and prepared to go to school.

That evening, Daisuke sat on Kato's front porch alone in the night lost in his thoughts. So much had happened to him in the past year. He barely had a change to piece it all together. He came back to earth when he heard the door shut behind him. The boy looked up to see Kato looking back at him.

"Couldn't sleep?" the former priest asked.

"No," the boy said, shaking his head.

"Ah," the older man said. Daisuke turned back to the view. Kato sat down with him.

"How is Anna-chan?" Daisuke asked.

"Sleeping," Kato replied.

"That's good," the boy said. They looked at the sky in silence. Kato looked on at his house guest. The question plagued him for weeks.

"Daisuke," the former priest said in a hushed tone. The boy didn't look up.

"Uh-hm?" he asked.

"Why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?" Kato came out with the burning question on his mind. Daisuke looked over at him. Kato studied his face. Daisuke had no emotion on what so ever.

"Why am I here?" the boy asked.

"Yes," Kato replied, nodding.

"Heh," Daisuke answered. He paused for a moment. "Fine," he said. "I'll tell you why." He broke down and told him the whole truth about his family, his sisters' death, and the birth of his daughter. Kato listened in silence the whole time. He took a moment to take it all in.

"Kimoto?" he asked. A hint of worry flashed over Daisuke's face.

"Do you know anything about them?" he asked.

"Just what I've heard in the news about them," the older man answered. He noticed the panicked look in Daisuke's eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, son," he said, waving off his thoughts. "I wouldn't dream of turning you over to your family." Daisuke fell before him in a begging position.

"Promise me that you won't," he pleaded. Kato smiled and patted him on the head.

"You have my word," he replied.

"I thank you," his tenant replied. Suddenly, Anna began crying from her room. Daisuke lifted his head.

"I better go see what Anna-chan needs now," he replied. The young father rose to his feet and walked into the house.

Days later, Daisuke felt that he just had to say something about the truth to his daughter some time later down the road. This uncomfortable thought crossed his mind while he was doing his homework. The young father didn't want to do this, but somehow he knew that truth would have to come out sooner or later. Daisuke drew his eyes shut as he reached his decision.

_I might as well get this over with_ , he thought. The young man walked over to the nightstand and pulled out his current tape. He popped it into the recorder and pressed record.

_Tape Entry #18:_

_March 21st, 1983._

_My name is Kimoto Daisuke. I am eighteen years old and a single father. I came to a realization last night. I can't get away from my past. It's time I finally came out and said it. I apologize to Anna-chan in advance when she hears this tape. The truth may be ugly and hard to swallow, but it just has to come out. I'm so sorry, Anna-chan._

_My mother is Kimoto Haruka and she is Satan in human form. For all of our childhood, she gave us Hell. Mother was a complete bitch. No, she doesn't deserve to be called "mother." Haruka had creative ways of torturing us. One time, Shichiro snuck out to see his then-girlfriend that she didn't like. She found out be morning and the girl had a flaming dead cat on her front porch later that evening. My brother ended up being handcuffed to his bed from then on. I'm not done yet; it gets worse._

His voice broke into trembling as he remembered all of the abuse.

_Haruka tricked Kirika into feeding poison to a neighbor's dog that she didn't like. This was a seven-year-old girl unknowingly killing an innocent dog that barked too much. By the time Kirika realized what had happened, it was too late. She ran to me crying afterwards. Haruka slapped us around constantly. I always woke up to her yelling at my brothers. She seemed to hate that we existed at all._

_Looking back, I don't understand how we took such abuse. What's worse is my so-called "brothers" took it and still tried to make her happy. I didn't realize that until one day in June of last year. I woke up to silence that morning. Right then, I knew something wasn't right. I got up and wandered around the house. Suddenly, I noticed smoke out the kitchen window. Curious, I looked and noticed Kirika's bunny rabbit being dropped into a fire pit along with a few other things. It didn't take me long to realize that Haruka was burning my sisters' things. I raced outside to stop her. Do you know what she said when I asked her what she was doing? Let them go and forget about them. Forget about my sisters? I tried to stop her, but Yasuo tackled me to the ground. As I tried to fight him off, Nobu told me, "Make this easier for yourself." Make this easier for myself? Make this easier for myself? How could he be so blind?_

_It became so clear to me from that moment on. She did it; Kimoto Haruka and her sons killed my sisters! Suddenly something inside me snapped. I pushed Yasuo off of me and ran to my sisters' things. I only managed to save their birth charms. For that, I took a serious and violent beating from Haruka. Did my brothers help me? No! They just stood there and watched me get beaten by her. As the blows got worse with my tight grip on the charms, the notion of a hellish prison became dead clear to me. I had to get away from my family. That night, I packed up my stuff and ran away from home. I haven't been back to that neighborhood ever since._

End of Tape Entry #18

Daisuke hit stop with an uneasy stomach. That was done, but he dreaded the moment that Anna would have to hear the truth for herself one day. The boy tried his best to think about something else at the moment.

"I'm home!" Kato yelled down the hall, "Could you help me get the groceries?" Daisuke lifted his head and looked at his open bedroom door.

"Oh, sure," the boy got up from his bed and walked down the hall. He cast aside his fears to function back in his current reality.


	15. The Land Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke adjusts to live in Kato's village.

_Chapter Fifteen: The Land Song:_

_July 10th, 1983._

Daisuke sat alone on Kato's porch. Baby Anna slept peacefully in her crib in his room. He had just put her down for a nap. So much weighed on the dad's mind in this alone time.

"Hey!" someone shouted. Daisuke looked up to see Kato walking up the driveway with bags of groceries in his arms.

"Could you give me a hand?" he asked. The boy slowly nodded once, he walked over and took a bag. Once they got the groceries inside, the two men sat on the porch. Daisuke looked out on the yard.

"What's on your mind?" Kato asked. The young man turned rather puzzled.

"Hm?" he asked.

"You've been pretty quiet," the old man pointed out. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

"Not much," he said. "Just about my daughter and her mother." The old man raised an eyebrow at him.

"Her mother?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said nodding. The boy paused and glanced around for a brief second.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked. Kato gave him a rather perplexed look.

"Sure," he answered. "What is it?" Daisuke leaned into the old man's ear.

"Her mother's still alive," he whispered. Kato turned his head with his jaw dropped.

"What?" he asked. "So, you mean..." Daisuke nodded as he prepared to expose the truth of Anna's birth.

Daisuke lied back onto the porch. "Where to begin with my story?"

"Any where you can," Kato answered.

"Okay...," the boy mumbled. He settled himself in place. The boy closed his eyes.

"It began after I ran away from home," Daisuke started. "I had just moved into student housing. I met two American girls during summer session. They both came from military families."

"Was one of them her mother?" Kato asked. Daisuke nodded in regret.

"I didn't want to continue my family's curse," he lamented. "I vowed not to have any children."

"So what happened?" the old man asked. "Love? Alcohol?" Daisuke shook his head humiliated. Kato became intrigued by this point.

"Then... what happened?" he asked. Daisuke's face burned red as mumbled the truth under his breath.

"I'm sorry?" Kato asked. The boy looked him straight in the eye.

"I ended up sleeping with her best friend on a double date!" he admitted with a bright tomato red face. Kato looked at him with a blank stare.

"How did that even happen?" he asked. Daisuke lowered his head as he replayed that night in his mind.

"I don't know," he admitted rather sheepishly. "All I know was that we were talking and drinking and before I knew it, I woke up in bed next to her."

"Damn," Kato said. "That's just…" Daisuke suddenly lifted his head.

"In any case," he spoke up. "Anna-chan can't know who her mother is." The older man gave him a strange look.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Her mother was my fiancée's best friend and besides…" the boy said aloud, as he clenched his fist to his chest. He knew this next truth would be painful, but he just had to say something. "I can't have her dragged into my family."

"Daisuke…," the older man spoke.

"Every woman that's married into my clan," he admitted. "Has either gone crazy or lost their will to care. The only one who's been lucky enough to escape so far is my oldest brother's wife, but she ended up leaving behind my nephew as a price." Daisuke nearly choked on the bitter rumors he remembered hearing about the boy. "I'll tell you right now," he said, "I might not really like Anna-chan's mother that much and she may be scary-looking with that scowl and mismatched eyes of hers, but even she doesn't deserve to be screwed up by those monsters!"

"So… where is she now?" Kato asked.

"California," the young father answered. "Where I hope she stays!"

"But what will you tell Anna-chan?" the older man asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know," he replied. "She's dead or something. I'll work it out when I can." Hearing that gave the older man an idea.

"You know," he spoke up. "That could actually work." Daisuke looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What?" he asked in alarm. Kato put up his hand to hush him.

"Easy now," he told him. "I have some good friends that could help you out with this. Just leave everything to me." That sentence did little to ease the young father. Who exactly was this man that he and his infant daughter were living with? Come to think of it, Kato did seem pretty sketchy at times. Something told him that the older man probably knew more about him and the Kimoto clan than he let on to believe. Daisuke resolved to keep up his guard for the time being around this man. Anna's cries suddenly broke the afternoon silence.

"Your little angel needs you," Kato pointed out.

"Excuse me," Daisuke replied. He bowed and went into the house to tend to his daughter.


	16. Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke in his university years.

_Chapter Sixteen: Glow:_

Daisuke had some happy moments with Anna. In her early years, he was trying to finish school. Things had been pretty peaceful. It was a welcome change from the violence and fear that he grew up with. He still kept the habit of recording into his tape journal every day. Even Jin didn't harass him like he used. However, it wasn't always that easy-coming as it turned out to be. At one point, he contemplated about dropping out. Kato gave him a verbal smack down when he voiced this thought.

"You cannot do this to her!" the older man snapped.

"I already work two part-time jobs to make ends meet for school," Daisuke reasoned. "Plus, I have a baby to take care of." He buried his head in his hands. "I don't think I can handle all of it," he muttered. Kato snorted at him.

"That's a lame excuse," he brushed off. Daisuke looked up at him with big eyes.

"What?" he asked. Kato slammed his hand against the table.

"Her future depends on your education!" he snapped. "If you drop out now, you'll only rob her of a better life!" Daisuke looked at him uneasily.

"But… who's going to take care of her while I'm in school?" he asked.

"You little dummy," the older man replied. "You have all of us."

"All of you?" Daisuke repeated.

"Yes," Kato answered. "You have this whole village and me, do you understand?" Daisuke blinked at him. It didn't don on him until now how much these people really cared about him and his daughter. The boy could barely grasp it for himself. He curled his hands into fists under the table.

"Alright," he said. "I'll stay in school."

"Very good," the older man replied. Daisuke completed school and graduated in the spring. The whole village came out to see him. Pretty soon, Kato went out bought Daisuke study books. The boy looked up at him rather perplexed at the stack on the table before him.

"What's all this for?" he asked.

"Study books," Kato replied.

"For what?" Daisuke asked.

"Do you want to get into college?" the older man asked. The high school gave him a long blank stare.

"I… I don't know…" he said. Kato gave him a calm little smile.

"I'll give you some time to think about it," he said. He turned and headed back to his room. Daisuke looked at the study books in front of him.

_Me going into college?_ Naturally, Kato and the villagers would take care of Anna again. Kato was dead serious about this.

In the end, Daisuke decided to go to college and got right to studying for the entrance exam. However, this didn't start without many questions.

"How am I going to pay for tuition?" he asked.

"I'll pay for you to go," Kato answered. "Money is no object." The boy somehow wasn't too easy about hearing that.

"But how?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it," Kato told him. "I have it under control. So are you going to go or not?"

"You're going to take care of Anna-chan?" Daisuke asked. Kato gave him a smile as he patted him on the head.

"Of course," he said. The boy dropped his shoulders and perked up.

"Alright, I'll do it," he replied. After two tries on the entrance exam, Daisuke made it into Kobe University. Every day, he would commute back and forth to school. He left Anna with Kato and the neighbors. He found that this arrangement worked out just fine. Daisuke even joined the film club at Kobe University. There, he rediscovered his love of Kurosawa Akira.

"Wow," his friend, Juta, said as they cleaned up the club room. "You really do like Kurosawa-san's movies." Daisuke lowered his shoulders as he put away the films on the shelf.

"Yeah," he said. "His movies kept me sane." Juta gave him an odd look.

"Kept you sane?" he asked. Daisuke paused and turned around. It hurt to relive those hellish years before his permanent departure from the home he grew up in. Still, the young father felt that he could trust Juta with telling him about his past. His friend would be able to take it, right? He took a seat at the table.

"Kimoto?" Juta asked.

"Sit down," his friend said. "This will take a while." Juta slowly complied and Daisuke told him the story. Afterwards, the other freshman looked at him with a grim face.

"Damn," he muttered. "That's just…" Daisuke pressed his lips together and nodded.

"I don't like to talk about it."

"I can see why," Juta said. "I would block out my pain with movies too I guess." Suddenly, the door opened wide. The boys looked up to see another one of their club members, Gombei, eyeing them.

"Why the long faces?" he asked. "I have some great news."

"What?" Juta asked. The junior closed the door behind him.

"You know the director, Miyazaki Hayao?" he asked. The boys stared at him puzzled.

"Didn't he direct _The Castle of Cagliostro_?" Daisuke asked.

"And _Nausicaa_?" Juta asked.

"That's the one!" Gombei said aloud.

"What about him?" Juta asked.

"He announced that he and director, Takahata Isao, are starting a new studio next year," the junior announced. The other two boys looked pretty surprised.

"Really?" Juta asked.

"What's it called?" Daisuke asked. Gombei placed his hand through his hair trying to recall the name. "Studio…Ghibli I think."

"Ghibli?" Daisuke asked.

"Why is it called that?" Juta asked. The junior shrugged and shook his head.

One thing about college life that Daisuke enjoyed was visiting his baby girl on the weekends. He happily smothered her with kisses every time he held her.

"Hey!" he whispered to her little face. "You missed me?" Daisuke sat in the living room surprised how things changed to this point. When she was really little, he was afraid of her at one point. He remembered the recording he made about this thought.

Tape #35:

_April 7th, 1983._

_My name is Kimoto Daisuke. I am eighteen years old and a single dad. I am in fear of my daughter. She could grow up to be a monster. She's a baby now, but still…_

_There is no way to tell which girl will inherit the Mother kitsune. Our powers don't manifest until our teen years. But what if hers manifest sooner?_

_It's silly to be afraid of a little baby like this. But, I can't help it. I don't even know what to do if she has the Mother. I don't want to kill her. That would make me no better than Haruka._

He sighs.

_I have to do something. But what can I do?_

He paused and lowered his head.

_I don't know what do…_

-End of Tape #35-

Kato happened to hear him make that recording.

"She won't grow up to be a monster," he insisted. Daisuke looked up at him with doubt in his eyes.

"How can you be so sure of that?" he asked.

"She doesn't have a monster for a father," Kato explained. Daisuke didn't know whether to laugh or hang his head about that. He still really couldn't trust Kato then. How did that man know so much about him and his family? None of it ever sat right with the boy.

Daisuke trembled as another thought crossed his head. Another memory that made him want to vomit. Months before he took the first entrance exam, he would've given into his family's nasty habit of trying to kill their offspring a try. In the past, the Eda-Kimoto clan either killed or tried to kill their own children. None of them could really explain why and Daisuke was about to be no exception to this bloody tradition. He even thought about the quick and the most painless why to murder Anna. The first time, Kato managed to stop him just in time and talk some sense into him. Five nights later, Daisuke started up again, but this time, he stopped on his own. He ended up sitting in the corner, holding Anna all night long. Daisuke shook himself of those bad memories. He looked his little daughter in the eye.

"Anna-chan," he told her. "I will protect you from those monsters to my dying breath." He already knew that wasn't going to be an easy task with an uncertain future unfolding itself before him.


	17. Little Buddha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke's life with Anna in 1988.

_Chapter Seventeen: Little Buddha:_

By 1988, Daisuke graduated from Kobe University. He got a job as a teaching assistant at a local community college. By this time, Anna had grown into a cute little girl. She was the brightest in her kindergarten class.

"She sure has a lot of energy," Kyoko, their neighbor, told him as they headed out to school that spring.

"Yeah!" Daisuke agreed. Anna raced off ahead of him.

"Wait up!" her father yelled as he ran after her. He found a way to keep that little one busy during the days that she had off. On April 16th of that year, the movies, _My Neighbor Totoro_ and _Grave of the Fireflies_ , came out. Daisuke and his film club friends went out to see them on that Sunday. The senior didn't enjoy _Grave of the Fireflies_ , but decided to take Anna out to see _Totoro_ next Sunday. However, the city was pretty pricey for even back them. On the next Saturday night, Daisuke knocked on Kato's bedroom door.

"Enter!" the older man said in a muzzled voice. The boy drew open the door and went inside. Kato looked up from his bills and paperwork.

"What's on your mind, Dai-kun?" he asked. The boy sank down before him on his knees.

"I need money to take Anna-chan out to Tokyo and a movie tomorrow!" Daisuke pleaded out loud. "I promise I'll pay you back." Without question, Kato tossed his whole wallet before the boy. Daisuke looked up shocked.

"Wow!" he gasped. "You gave me your whole wallet?"

"It's fine," the older man insisted. "Anna-chan needs a day out. She's never been outside of the village after all."

Daisuke sank back down on the floor again. "Thank you!"

"It's nothing," Kato replied. "Oh and don't worry about paying me back." Daisuke gave him a puzzled face.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Of course," the older man replied as he filled out his last bill for the night, "I'm just happy to see that little angel smile." Daisuke took the wallet and rose to his feet.

"I won't forget this!" he said before hurrying out the door. The next morning, Daisuke got his little angel up and dressed.

"Have a nice time out!" Kato said as he saw them out the door.

"Take care!" Daisuke replied. His daughter looked up at her father puzzled as they headed to the bus stop down the road.

"Papa, why isn't Kato-san going with us?" she asked. Daisuke patted his little girl on the head.

"It's just going to be you and me today," he said.

"How come?" she inquired.

"Because," her father replied. "I barely get time to spend with you anymore." The little girl smiled as if she was satisfied with that answer.

The wait for the bus only took about ten minutes before it pulled up. Daisuke walked his little darling on board. He had to try and get her to calm down as she had never been on a bus before in her life.

"Wow!" she said.

"Honey," Daisuke replied. "Come and take a seat." Anna plopped down next to him in the front. The bus driver smiled at the child's enthusiasm as he pulled off. Anna looked around at the moving scenery outside of the bus window.

"Wow!" she said in a gasp. Daisuke couldn't help but to chuckle. _Oh yes_ , he thought. The man patted her on the head.

"You've never been out of the village, have you?" he asked. The little girl looked at him with wide excited eyes as she shook her head.

"Where are we going, Papa?" she asked. Daisuke smiled as he played with her little auburn pigtails.

"We're going to see a movie," he said. The little girl tilted her head at him.

"A movie?" she asked.

"Yes," Daisuke replied. The bus pulled up in the city and the man led his daughter to the big theater in Kobe. He had one heck of a time dragging her along since she was too distracted by the sights and sounds.

"So many people!" she said.

"Yes," her father said softly. "Now come along." He shook his head to himself with a little smile. Father and daughter made it to the theater after another number of distractions in the city. Daisuke walked up to the ticket booth.

"Two for _My Neighbor Totoro_ , please?" he asked. The lady at the booth looked at him slightly confused.

"Just _Totoro_ , sir?" she asked. "Not _Grave of the Fireflies_ too?" Daisuke nudged his head over at his daughter.

"Oh," she said. "Sure thing." The father paid for the tickets and led Anna into the theater. Anna really enjoyed the movie when it was over. Afterwards, Daisuke took his daughter out to lunch at a burger restaurant.

"Can we sit by the window?" she asked as they stood in line. Daisuke smiled as his thumb rubbed on her little hand.

"Alright, honey," he said. Anna's little face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree.

"Yay!" she cheered. Her father used his free hand to move up and down to calm the child.

"Not so loud," Daisuke whispered. Despite closing her mouth, Anna still shifted and bounced around in her excitement. Her father made it up to the front of the line when it came their turn to order.

"One number one and one kids' meal," Daisuke ordered.

"Coming up," the cashier replied as she rang up the total. Once they got their food, Daisuke and Anna sat near the window as promised. He watched as she stuffed her burger into her mouth. Little moments like this made him happy to have this life.

"Anna-chan," he said as she stuffed fires in her mouth. The little girl didn't hear him as she kept eating.

"Sweetie," he spoke up. Daisuke reached over and lightly tugged away her fries. The little girl looked up with disappointment in her eyes.

"Hey!" she complained. Her father repressed a chuckle.

"If you keep wolfing your food down, you won't get time to enjoy it," he pointed out. The little girl puffed up her cheeks as she pouted.

"I'll give them back if you promise me that you'll slow down," he said. His daughter whimpered at his offer.

"Come on," Daisuke encouraged her.

"Alright," she complained. "I'll slow down."

"You promise?" her father asked.

"Yes," the little girl answered. She reached out for her fries, but he took hold of her wrists.

"Hey!" she complained. Daisuke smiled as he shook his head.

"Just one more thing," he said.

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"I love you," he said. His little princess smiled and giggled.

"I love you too, Papa!" she said aloud. Daisuke giggled as he handed back her fries. After lunch, father and daughter headed back out into the city. The little girl couldn't get enough of the sight of people. They came past a toy store and Anna stopped right in her tracks. Daisuke turned and looked.

"What is it, Anna-chan?" he asked.

"Totoro!" she shouted as she pointed in the shop window. Her father looked and saw a stuffed Totoro plushy sitting in the window on display. He already guessed why she stopped.

"Do you want him?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said aloud.

"And what do we say when we want something?" the man asked.

"Please?" Anna asked. Her father chuckled as he patted her on the head.

"Alright then, we will go get him," he replied.

"Yay!" his little princess cheered. She led him right into the toy store.

"Welcome!" the clerk greeted them.

"Hello," Daisuke said back. "We would like your Totoro plushy on display in the window there."

"Sure," she replied. "One moment please." The woman came from behind the counter and walked over to the front window. Anna watched as she took Totoro back to the counter with her.

"Would you like him gift-wrapped?" the clerk asked.

"No," Daisuke replied. "My daughter will just carry him out of here."

"Alright," the clerk said as she rang up the stuffed toy. Daisuke enjoyed watching his daughter walk out of the store with her new friend. She even fell asleep with Totoro in her arms on the bus ride home. Daisuke smiled as he leaned back in the seat.

_Can there be more days like this?_

Despite all of this, he couldn't escape from his past. There were two instances of sorrow and fear that wouldn't let up on him.

_August 1st, 1988._

Tape Entry #211:

_August 1st, 1988._

_My name is Kimoto Daisuke. I am twenty-three years old and a single father. Summer is here and that means Anna-chan's out of school now. Uh-oh, guess I'll have to keep her busy for the whole break._

He broke into laughter.

_This will be another good summer. I hadn't had this much fun since the 70's. Great times they were! Now…_

He paused as the sorrow crept in.

_All I have is the memories. I see them in my Anna-chan. Seeing her little face reminds me that life can be okay at times. Anna-chan… My little soldier… She's become my motivation to survive my bloodline. My little solder…_

End of Tape Entry #211

Daisuke sat at the desk that Kato let him use in his room. He had just hit stop on the tape recorder after recording another journal entry. The twenty-three-year-old sat lost in his thoughts. He held a small silver charm bracelet in his hands. _It has been so long_ , he thought. His sister hid this in his jacket pocket two months before her death. He caught her in the act, but she made him keep it there. Daisuke remembered that he had the bracelet in his possession on the day he moved into the dormitory.

The man looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Anna started to look a little bit more like Kirika each day. It almost startled him at points. He had to stop himself from calling his daughter by his baby sister's name.

Daisuke came back to earth when he heard the door slide open. He looked up and saw little Anna in the doorway. She stared at him in silent wonder as her father stared at her likewise. Little Anna blinked at him in the doorway staring as her papa stared back at her.

"Papa," the little girl said. "What's wrong? What are you doing?"

Daisuke gave her a little smile as he completely turned around to her. "Anna-chan, could you do something for me?"

The little girl tilted her head at him. "What is it?"

Her father sat there bravely. Could he do this with her? Seemed like a huge request for such a small child, but Anna seemed so strong. She could take this; he knew that she could. Daisuke drew in a deep breath.

"Can you be daddy's little soldier?" he asked. Little Anna blinked at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Daisuke opened the desk drawer behind him and reached inside.

"I need you to take care of something for me," he said. Little Anna looked on at her dad.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Come here and hold out your left wrist," Daisuke told her calmly. Anna smiled at him cheerfully.

"Okay," she said. Then the girl held her left hand forward and walked over to her father. Daisuke drew the silver bracelet from the drawer. When his daughter got close enough, he clasped it around her tiny wrist. Anna watched him curiously as he did so. Daisuke sat back smiling.

"Now, Anna-chan," he said. "This bracelet belonged to someone very to dear to me. Can I trust you to be my little soldier and take good care of it for me?" Anna stared on surprised at first. Her dad just gave her a valuable treasure and wanted her to take care of it? Anna nodded at him with a smile.

"Yes Papa!" she chirped. "I'll be your little soldier!"

"Very good, Anna-chan!" he said relived. He lightly patted his daughter on the head. Anna smiled at him upbeat as she began her duty as papa's little soldier from that point onwards. Seeing her face like this gave him the proof that he needed that he could still survive the tragedy that Haruka dumped on him in his earlier life.

_I will not let her rob me of my future as well_ , he thought. The man was determined to fight on and show that he didn't need the clan or to be a murderer to prove that he could survive. As long as he had his daughter, he could take on anything and everything in life. But, what if that future could be the gateway back into the hell that he grew up in?

_October 7th, 1988._

Ever since Anna was conceived, Daisuke worried about her powers. Despite running away from home, the Eda-Kimoto name still haunted him. He feared his daughter for a long time. It had been forty generations already. The man didn't teach her kitsune-tsukai magic or tell her the truth about their clan's bloody history. He worried about what powers his five-year-old daughter would have. The man worried that her powers would manifest too soon. He got his second answer that afternoon. Anna rushed into Kato's living room excited.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed as she ran towards Daisuke with open arms. The twenty-three-year-old man embraced his little girl.

"Sweetheart!" he said. "How was your day?" Little Anna looked up at him smiling with those little green-brown eyes of hers.

"I got many kitties to come to school today!" she announced proudly. Daisuke froze and looked at her.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I saw a kitty lying dead in the bushes near the playground today," she went on. "He made me feel so sad. I wished that he was alive again. Suddenly, the kitty got up and walked away. Then, I looked up and saw many kitties watching me. All of the kids liked the kitties, but the teachers looked at me funny all day." Daisuke's stomach turned. In his bloodline, a kitsune handler's power manifests through one simple wish. Anna's powers must have manifested this afternoon with the cats coming back to life in the city. However, something was off here. Most of the ages for powers to manifest ranged from twelve to seventeen. Anna was only five years old. His daughter was part of the fortieth generation of the third wave.

While Anna did her homework in the living room, Daisuke and Kato talked on the porch.

"They have manifested," Daisuke said to the older man. Kato looked at him surprised.

"Already?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, which means…" the younger man began to say. Both men went silent at the thought of what could come next.

"So what are you going to do?" Kato asked.

Daisuke turned to him with a dead serious look in his eyes. "I have no choice…"

"You mean…" Kato began.

"I have no choice," the younger man said. "I'll wait until after dinner though."

"Will it hurt?" Kato asked concerned.

"No, no," Daisuke said. "A sealing spell is completely painless and she won't know what's going on because it is so quick."

The older man relaxed after hearing that. "That's good to know." Dinner went as planned. All three sat at the table eating. When he finished his rice, Daisuke lowered his chopsticks and looked at his little angel.

"Anna-chan," the young man said, "How would you like to play a little game?"

His little darling's eyes lit up in surprised delight. "A game?" Her father tried to remain cheerful and upbeat about the whole scheme.

"Yes," he said. "Come with me." Daisuke stood to his feet and walked out the front door. The child followed behind curious with Kato watching in silence.

Father and daughter came out into the woods. Daisuke looked behind him after every few steps. Anna stayed close behind him the whole time. He couldn't let her know what was going on; that would probably frighten the child off. Father and child came into the center of the woods. A circle of white chalk waited for them. Anna looked up at her father rather confused.

"What is this, daddy?" she asked. Daisuke turned around and knelt down to his little princess.

"It's okay, honey," he said softly. "This is part of the game." Anna looked on uncertain. Daisuke gave her a little smile and gently patted her on the head.

"It'll be fine," the father promised. The little girl began to believe him as she said nothing. Daisuke kissed her on the forehead.

"That's a good girl," he whispered. The man rose to his feet. "Now step into the circle," Daisuke calmly instructed her. The little girl walked into the circle and turned to face him.

"Good, good," Daisuke muttered. "Now close your eyes and hold out your hand." Anna hesitated at first. The man sensed her nervousness and fear.

"It's okay sweetie," he insisted. "Everything will be fine!" The little girl didn't move at first. Then she shut her eyes and held out her hand.

"That's good," Daisuke mumbled. His fingertips lightly touched her on the forehead. He shut his own eyes and began to chant the spell. A small vibration shook through the child. She could feel it started from her chest and spread through her tiny body. She wasn't sure what was going on. Daisuke used up all of his energy and might for his sealing spell on his little girl. When he felt himself starting to give out, the man opened his eyes and removed his hand. He placed a piece of Botan Rice candy in her hand.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," the man said. Anna complied and looked in her hand. Her little face lit up when she saw the candy.

"Thanks, daddy!" she cheered. Daisuke gave her a little smile.

"You're welcome," he said. Somehow inside, he knew that this wasn't going to be the last time he would encounter his past.


	18. Trace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke's first trip to Tokyo.

_Chapter Eighteen: Trace:_

In 1989, Daisuke first went to Tokyo. It all started during the spring semester. The teacher called him back after class.

"Kimoto-san," he spoke up. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" The young man paused and turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

His boss, Ota-sensei, pushed up his glasses. "I am heading out to Tokyo for a summer conference and I would like for you to come with me." Daisuke looked at him with big eyes.

"What? Are you serious?" he asked.

"Of course," his mentor replied.

"When?" Daisuke asked.

"In July," Ota-sensei answered. The young man stood up straight.

"Yes sir!" he said in one breath. "I won't disappoint you!" His boss chuckled at his response.

"There, there," he remarked. "No need to be so serious all the time." Daisuke had to force himself to calm down.

"Yes sir," he said with a bow. The man turned and walked out the door.

By July, Anna watched Daisuke as he packed up his suitcase.

"Where are you going, Papa?" she asked.

"I'm going to Tokyo, dear," he replied as he snapped his suitcase shut.

"Tokyo?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied. "I'm going to the big city throughout this summer."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"I'll back on breaks," Daisuke replied. "I'll even bring you little souvenirs." The little girl tilted her head at him.

"Souvenirs?" she asked.

"Little gifts for when you go on vacations and things like that," Daisuke explained. "But that's only if you are a good little girl while I'm gone." Anna smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay!" she cheered aloud. In the morning, Daisuke gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"You be good while I'm gone, okay?" he asked.

"Yes!" his daughter replied. Daisuke smiled before turning his attention to Kato.

"You remember everything that I told you right?" he asked.

"Of course," the old man answered. Daisuke breathed out rather excited.

"Okay then," he said. "I'm off now."

"Take care," Kato said.

"Bye-bye!" Anna spoke as she waved her father off. Daisuke turned and headed down the road to the bus stop. Ota-sensei greeted him at the community college.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Daisuke replied as he bowed his head. The two men got into the older man's car and they drove off to Tokyo. The first day blew the young man away. Daisuke was used to the urban part of Kobe, but that was nothing compared to how massive Tokyo was.

"Wow!" he gasped. His mentor beside of him chuckled.

"Yes, Kimoto-san," he replied. "This is Tokyo at its prime." The younger man turned to him with big eyes.

"My daughter would love to see this," he said. Ota-sensei nodded at him with a huge grin on his face.

"Maybe sometime later, I can show you around," he bragged. "This is my hometown after all."

"Wait," Daisuke said. "You're from Tokyo?"

"That's right," his boss said. "Pure-blooded!"

"Then, why did you move to Kobe?" he asked.

"I fell in love," the older man replied with nostalgia in his eyes. Daisuke gave him a puzzled look.

"Your wife?" he asked.

"Correct," Ota-sensei answered. "I'll tell you about that some other time, but right now we have to go register at the campus."

Daisuke nodded as he went into work mode. "Yes sir," he said back. He followed him up to Tokyo University's main building. Daisuke did his best to pay attention and leave a good impression. Afterwards, Ota-sensei nudged him on the arm.

"Come on," he said. "We have to go check into the hotel."

"Yes sir," Daisuke said with a nod. The older man led him out of the gymnasium back out to the parking lot. The men checked into Royal Park Hotel. Daisuke's jaw practically dropped at the sight of the building.

"Whoa!" he whispered.

"You like it?" Ota-sensei asked. "They just opened it this year." All the younger man could do was nod up and down. The professor had to walk his assistant into the building. Daisuke regained his senses once the checking in was complete.

"How are we supposed to afford this?" he whispered as they walked down the hall to their room.

"The school's handling it," Ota-sensei said without a single thought. Daisuke's face went flat at that reply.

"Oh," he said. "Is that right?"

"Of course," he said. "Once we get out luggage into the room, we'll go out for dinner and a little entertainment on the town with the other professors." Daisuke gave him a big blank look.

"You sure that's okay?" he asked. Ota-sensei smacked him on the back.

"Come on!" he said. "Live a little!"

"Ow," the younger man murmured as he moved his shoulders around in a circle. The men went out to dinner with the other professors and teaching assistants to a steak house. Due to his lack of socialization experience, Daisuke just kept to himself over his meal the whole time.

"Come on, Kimoto-san!" one of the drunken professors said, leaning over him, "Come out with us to the clubs tonight!" Daisuke shook his head as he pushed him off.

"No thanks," he said. "It's not really my thing. I'm just going to go back to my room." The professor pouted at him.

"Aw, you sure?" he slurred out.

"Yes," Daisuke replied, "Excuse me." He bowed, paid for his portion of the bill, and quietly left the restaurant. Once he back to the hotel, Daisuke changed for bed, watched a little TV, and went to bed. And yet even after such an eventful and a peaceful day for his mind, he was thrusted back into the darkness he once ran away from. This is a darkness that still haunts his dreams.

_July 7th, 1979._

A younger Daisuke sat on the back porch of his original home he once lived in staring at the night sky above him. He let his mind wonder off elsewhere. Kirika came up from behind him and playfully covered his eyes. Her older brother could help, but smile.

"Yes, Kirika-chan?" he asked. His baby sister released his eyes and giggled.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked. Daisuke gave her a little shrug.

"Just a guess," he answered. His sister pouted at his response.

"A guess?" she asked.

"That's right," he replied nodding.

"That's not fun!"

Her brother put up his hands. "Sorry." She hit him on the back hard.

"Ow!" he complained. "No hitting, remember?"

The little girl gave him an innocent look. "Okay."

"Now say you're sorry," he said. The little girl sighed.

"Alright," she said. "I'm sorry." Daisuke gave her a little smile.

"Sit by me and look at stars," he told her.

"Okay," Kirika replied. Daisuke moved aside to let her sit down. She looked up at the vast sky above them.

"Aren't they beautiful?" her brother asked.

"Yes," she replied. He pointed above them.

"See that one there?" the boy asked. "That's called the North star on the Little Dipper."

"The North Star?" his baby sister asked.

"Yes," he replied. "If you get lost, just look up and it will guide you head."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Of course," he told her. Kirika leaned her head on his shoulder. Her brother looked rather puzzled.

"Kirika-chan?" he asked. She looked at him with big worried eyes.

"Don't ever leave me," she pleaded. Her brother gave her a funny look.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Please?" she asked. The boy nodded at her uneasily.

"Okay…" he said. Daisuke began to think that Haruka did something her and Yumiko again. _Why does she hate them so much?_ His attention turned back to Kirika staring up at him.

" _Promise me we will stay together forever, big brother," she whispered._

_He smiled and took her tiny hand, "I promise."_

_Present Day_

_Daisuke rolled over in his bed uneasily and suddenly shot his eyes open. It hurt that he could never keep that promise. Those memories still would not leave him. He clenched his fists under the sheets with tears in his eyes._

_Yumiko-chan… Kirika-chan…_ _The old scars in his hearts refused to heal._


	19. Kuni

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke encounters two women, one from the past and one in the present, that change his future.

_Chapter Nineteen: Kuni:_

There were two women after Allison in Daisuke's life that sent him into a bit of a swirl. One came from his past while another one could've been his future.

_Sayuri_

Tokyo, August 10th, 1989.

Kato took Anna up for a visit that day. He walked the little girl up to the hotel room that Daisuke was staying at.

"How's my little angel?" the young man asked as he knelt down to hug her. The little girl giggled as he took her into his arms.

"Fine!" she cheered.

"Have you been good on the way here?" her father asked.

"Yes, Papa!" she cheered.

"That's good," Daisuke said. He turned his attention to Kato as he glanced up at him.

"How was the trip up?" he asked.

"Pretty good," the older man replied. "We had no trouble finding our way around, though this little one just had to stop and see everything." He patted Anna on the head as he said that last part. Daisuke laughed as he rose to his feet.

"I'll believe it," he said. The man turned back to his daughter. "Ready to go?"

The little girl tilted her head at him. "Go where?" she asked.

"Just a little walk," her father replied. Anna perked up when he told her that.

"Do we get to see more of the city?" she asked.

"Of course," Daisuke answered.

"Yay!" the girl cheered. Kato gave them a warm smile.

"I'll be in the library if you need me," he said.

"Sure thing," Daisuke replied as he and Anna headed down the hall. Tokyo was rather busy that muggy Thursday afternoon. Daisuke did everything in his power to tug his daughter along on the sidewalk.

"Sweetie," he said. "Please stay by me. I don't want you to get snatched or anything, alright?"

Anna turned to him with a huge smile on her face. "Okay!" As they turned the curb, a sight caught Daisuke's eye as he froze dead in his tracks. Anna paused and looked up at him.

"What's wrong, Papa?" she asked. Her father didn't answer; instead he walked towards a woman up ahead handing out flyers for a nightclub of some sort.

"Come out to the Golden Lotus!" she called out to the people passing by. "Ladies get in free for the first time." Daisuke's eyes stayed on her long curly brown and pink hair. She had on a pinkish-white puffy coat in the middle of summer. To him, it looked just as weird as her Madonna-like fashion in the streets. However, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

_I think that I've seen her from somewhere_ , he thought. The man just couldn't really place where. Suddenly, the tan-looking woman paused and turned when she noticed him. A puzzled look came over her face.

"Dai-kun?" she asked. "Is that you?" Daisuke looked just as confused.

"Uh…" he spoke. The woman's eyes lit up brighter than firecrackers as she raced over to the man and his child.

"Dai-kun!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in so long!" The man blinked at her with a lost expression.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" he asked. The woman gave him a perky smile.

"It's me, Sayuri!" she exclaimed. "I was in your fifth grade class back in Kobe!"

The man still didn't understand her. "I don't know a Sayuri,"

"It's me, Peaches!" she said with a "V" sign to her face. That voice and the "peaches" triggered something in his mind. The man's jaw dropped when he put two and two together.

"Peaches?" he asked. "You're _that_ Peaches?"

"That's right!" she chirped. Daisuke remembered a hyper, chubby weird girl in his fifth class. She was always loud and loved to draw. On the first day of class, she stood at her desk and introduced herself to the class.

"My name is Choshi Sayuri!" she boomed. "And I like peaches!" The whole class got a good laugh out of that one. She ended up being called "Peaches" for the rest of the year. Somehow, Sayuri didn't seem to mind it all and gladly took it as her nickname. Some of her classmates wondered if she was really stupid or just pretending to be. Daisuke began to smile and nod as it all came back to him.

"Peaches!" he exclaimed, "I didn't recognize you at first. You have really slimmed down!"

"Yep," she said, twirling around. "You like?" The man nodded rather impressed.

"Yeah," he said. "How have you been? Are you still drawing these days?"

"I'm doing great!" Peaches replied. "Though, I barely get time to draw anymore."

"Aw, what do you mean?" Daisuke asked rather puzzled. She gave him a little frown.

"I'm so busy with work lately," the wild woman answered. "I'm trying to get into art school."

"Art school?" Daisuke asked.

"That's right," she perked up. "I always wanted to go ever since I first came to Tokyo."

"And have you?" he asked.

"I'm getting there," Peaches said as she clapped her hands together. "How about you? What have you been up to these days?" Daisuke chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, not much," he replied. "I work as a teaching assistant now at a local community college in Kobe."

"Teaching assistant, huh?" Peaches asked.

"That's right," Daisuke answered.

"Somehow, I always felt that you would end up with a job like that," she said.

Daisuke tilted his head as he gave her an odd look. "Why do you say that?" Peaches gave him a small shrug.

"Dunno," she answered. "You just had that caring nature about you when we were in school together."

"Is that right?" Daisuke asked.

"Uh-huh, don't ask me how; I just knew," Peaches replied. Hearing her suggest that brought another thought to Daisuke's mind.

"Hey Peaches," he spoke up.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Why did you let call you 'Peaches'?" he asked. "You knew they were picking on you, right?"

"Probably," she replied, "It just kind of stuck, you know?"

Daisuke nodded after he thought about that. "I suppose." Peaches happened to look down by her former classmate's side and saw Anna peeking out from behind. She quickly hid back with a small gasp. A smile spread across Peaches' face.

"Oh, and who's this little cutie?" she asked. Daisuke looked down and patted Anna on the head.

"This is my daughter, Anna-chan," he replied. Peaches' eyes lit up brighter than the stars.

"You have a daughter?" she asked.

"That's right," he replied. The man looked down at the little girl hiding behind him. "Say hi, Anna-chan," he whispered. The little girl peeked out at the smiling lady squatting down to her level.

"Hi there," she greeted the little girl.

"Hi…" Anna mumbled as she gave her a small wave. Daisuke chuckled.

"Don't worry about her," he said, "She's just really shy."

"I see," the woman said before rising to her feet, "So who's her mother?" Daisuke lowered her head.

"She's dead," he lied. The glow in Peaches' face dimmed at that response.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," she murmured. Another thought crossed her mind, changing her mood. "How old is Anna-chan?" she asked. Daisuke pretended to perk up.

"She's six years old," he replied.

"Ooo, that's a busy age," Peaches cooed.

"Yeah," Daisuke said with his laughter reaching the high afternoon sky.

"Peaches!" a man yelled behind her from the club where she was standing in front of before, "Where the hell are you?! Get your ass back to work right now!" Peaches gave off a nervous laugh as a response.

"I better go, I have to get back to work," she said quickly. "Nice talking to you again." Peaches turned to run back to her post.

"Good luck with getting into art school!" Daisuke yelled back. The bubbly woman turned around and flashed another V-sign at him.

"Remember, I love Peaches!" she shouted before heading back to work handing out flyers. Daisuke couldn't help but smile at such a woman. Anna looked up at her father.

"Papa, who was that?" she asked.

"A really nice, goofy girl I know used to know," he replied. "A really nice, goofy girl."

_Yoshimi_

April 1st, 1993.

Daisuke waited under the cherry tree in the public park in Kobe. Kyoko set him up on a blind date today. The man nearly spat out his green tea when he heard that.

"What?!" he screamed in Kato's kitchen. The old lady tried her best to calm him down.

"It's just a blind date," Kyoko reasoned with him. "I'll even watch Anna-chan while you have a nice time out."

"But why?" he asked.

"Anna-chan's going to need a mother figure in her life soon," the old lady began. "And how long do you plan to stay single?" Daisuke looked at her blinking.

"Well… I haven't really thought about it," he answered in a choked-up voice. Kyoko leaned in close to his face with a grin.

"So, this is a good place to start," she encouraged. "She's a daughter of a good friend of mine. She's really nice and just got out of a nasty divorce. Maybe Anna-chan could have a little step-sister if it all goes well."

Daisuke gave off a nervous laugh. "You won't back off of this, will you?"

"Do it for me, please?" the old lady pleaded. The young man frowned as he set his cup down on the kitchen table.

"Fine," he said. "I'll give it a try." Kyoko bowed her head with a smile.

"You have just made me so happy," she said. "You'll really like her, I promise." Daisuke really wasn't too sure about that last statement. So, here he was at the park waiting for his date. Daisuke looked at his watch. _She should be here by now_ , he thought. _It's almost three o'clock._

"Excuse me," a small voice spoke up. "Are you Kimoto Daisuke?" The man turned around to see a tiny woman standing inches away from him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her yellow and pink yukata. Her light red butterfly clips held her twists in her hair neatly in place. Daisuke tilted his head puzzled.

"Yes," he replied. "Why do you ask?" The woman's cheeks turned a bright pink at his question.

"I'm Kate Yoshimi," she answered in a soft voice. "I believe I am your date." It took Daisuke a while to put it together in his head.

"Oh," he said aloud. "Nice to meet you!" Both of them took a bow. It was just now he noticed that Yoshimi had nice violet eyes.

"So what are we doing today?" she asked. Her blind date shrugged.

"I don't really know," he said. "We could just walk around for a bit."

"That sounds good," Yoshimi replied. The two of them started their path. He got to know his date quite well. She too had a young daughter Anna's age and she had just recently got divorced. As a result, mother and daughter moved from Osaka to Kobe for a change in pace. Her mother objected to the move, but Yoshimi insisted on a changer for her and her young daughter. They had just bought an apartment near the beach. Right now, Yoshimi was looking for a new job in Kobe.

"Whoa," Daisuke said. "That seems like a lot." Yoshimi nodded at him.

"Yes, it has," she said in a soft voice, "How about you?"

Daisuke looked up at her blankly. "What?"

"What is your story?" Yoshimi asked. The man froze in his tracks and lowered his head. His dated stopped behind rather puzzled.

"Daisuke-san?" she asked. He turned to her with a rather dry smile on his face.

"It's a long story," he replied. Yoshimi looked rather confused by his statement.

"Shall we go on?" Daisuke asked. His date nodded at him uneasily as she walked up beside him.

Their date turned out to be rather nice and quiet. They walked through the park admiring the cherry blossoms and talking. He even took her out to dinner and walked her back to her new apartment. Sparks didn't go off between Yoshimi and Daisuke, but they became good friends all the way up until January 1994. They would meet up in the city part of Kobe and just talk over coffee or lunch. Daisuke found that he rather enjoyed her company.

_Maybe Kyoko-san did do something right for me for a change_ , he thought. Bit by bit, they shared personal stories with each other and became strong support for one another. Their little girls even became good friends and played together.

"They look like they could be sisters," Yoshimi said as she watched Anna and her daughter, Kiko, playing on the beach together.

"Yeah," Daisuke agreed. _Could every day be like this?_ However, it came to an end when Yoshimi and Kiko moved back to Osaka when her mother died.

"I'll miss you," Yoshimi told Daisuke.

"Me too," he replied. They kept in contact for a little while until they grew apart and moved on with their own lives.

Both women put a lasting impact on his life, but that was nothing compared to the next decision he would make next year.


	20. The Last Emperor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke and Anna move away from Kobe to Tokyo.

_Chapter Twenty: The Last Emperor:_

_July 21st, 1994._

The summer of 1994 brought a huge change to Daisuke and Anna. By this time, the young man grew bored with his current life and ached for a change. He didn't expect to get his wish so soon that year. It all started with a new job offer. His boss called him in to talk to him about a little change in the staff.

"Tokyo?" the young man asked his employer in his office on that day.

"That is correct," the older gentleman said at his desk. "Tokyo University is looking new teaching assistants and I suggested you." The young man quickly bowed his head as he saw a new opportunity for his life.

"Of course," Daisuke quickly replied. "When do I leave?"

"At the end of summer semester," the employer told. Daisuke quickly bowed at him again. The older man chuckled at his behavior.

"You're welcome," he replied. "But just do me one more favor."

"Yes, sir?" Daisuke asked.

"Please loosen up while you're in Tokyo," his employer told him. "You don't have to be so formal all of the time, okay?" Daisuke gave him a nervous chuckle.

"It's just an old habit of mine, sir," he replied. "But I will try my best."

His employer gave him a proper nod. "That is all, you may return to your classroom."

"Thank you sir," the younger man replied. "Excuse me." He turned and walked out the door. Later that evening after dinner while Anna did her summer homework in the den, Daisuke broke the news to Kato. However, the old man didn't take too kindly to the plan.

"You're making a terrible mistake!" Kato pleaded to a twenty-nine-year-old Daisuke as he packed up things in the room he shared with Anna.

"No," the younger man argued back. "I already took the job in Tokyo. This will benefit both of us. Besides, Anna-chan and I have to leave this place; it's too boring."

"Boring or not, you are safe in this village!" the older man yelled.

"That's just it," Daisuke pointed out. "It's too safe. Besides, Anna-chan needs to be around kids her age." He reached into the closet and packed away more of his daughter's clothes. Kato watched as his stomach turned.

"What are you going to do about school for Anna-chan?" he asked. "You don't even have a place to live in Tokyo and you don't really know anyone there."

"I will manage," Daisuke replied without looking up. "I have to try and make it on my own after all anyway." He zipped up the suitcase and moved onto the next one.

"But what if your mother finds you and her?" he asked desperately. "I won't be able to protect you and Anna-chan while you're in Tokyo." Daisuke shrugged and shook his head. He turned around from the suitcase that he was packing his family's possession into.

"I know," he said. "But I can't keep Anna-chan innocent in this village forever. That's just not right." They knew that Haruka and the family were closing in on them. The younger man hated to think what would happen if she got her hands on her grandchild. He sat down on the futon.

"But," Daisuke finished. "I will wait until August. Anna will be done with classes then. Once she is settled out of school, I'll give her the chance to say goodbye to this place."

Kato nodded despite still being against this whole idea. "Agreed."

The rest of summer semester sailed by for both father and daughter. During this time, Daisuke began plotting out their lives in Tokyo. He thought that he would get a small apartment for him and his daughter to live in, enroll her into a decent school, settle into his new job, and just wing it from there. For now, however he would enjoy the countdown to when he and his daughter would exit Kobe for good. Anna got to graduate on time with her class. After the graduation ceremony, Daisuke broke the news that she and him were moving to Tokyo during the break. His twelve-year-old daughter couldn't understand this decision.

"But why?" she asked. "What's wrong with our village?"

"I took a new job in Tokyo," Daisuke tried to reason with her. "I figured that it would be a nice change in pace for us."

"But why?" Anna asked, not satisfied with his answer. The man pressed his hands together in a pleading fashion.

"Please?" Daisuke asked. "Do this for me! I really want an escape from this place. Please?" His daughter rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders.

"Fine," she grumbled. "But only for you, I suppose."

Her father smiled and bowed his head. "I thank you so much, you won't regret this!" That evening, Kato, Daisuke, and Anna sat together for one last meal. The old man still didn't agree with this whole move.

"I still think that it's best that you stay in the village," he whispered in Daisuke's ear.

"We already went over this," Daisuke whispered back.

"Is something wrong?" Anna asked over her fried rice.

"Nothing!" both men were quick to say. The girl looked as if she didn't believe them, but said nothing and went back to eating her dinner.

"Say, sweetheart," Daisuke spoke up. "Have you said goodbye to everyone yet?"

Anna glanced up at him from her bowl. "Yes, Papa." Her tone told him, 'Please let me finish eating.' Daisuke luckily took the hint and closed his mouth. The next morning, Daisuke and Anna were all packed up to leave. To their surprise, almost everyone from the village came to see them off. They each gave gifts to the departing family for their journey to Tokyo.

"We will miss you!" Kyoko told them. Daisuke offered a nervous laugh in return. This wasn't exactly how he planned to leave Kobe, but he didn't complain out of politeness.

"Papa!" Anna shouted at him. "We have to go or we won't make the bus in time if we're late!" The man tightened up his resolve.

"Be there in a second!" he called. The man rushed over to his daughter and they headed off for the bus stop one last time. They didn't speak for the whole time.

"You've been to Tokyo before," Daisuke tried to converse with Anna once again. "It'll be just like the last time, only a longer stay."

"Uh-huh," she said in a flat tone. For reasons that she couldn't voice aloud, Anna suspected that this move really had absolutely nothing to do with his job. She had to guess that there was a deeper motive involved. But right now, she would have to settle for moving away from the village she called home for the first twelve years of her life and venture out into the busy capital of Japan.


	21. Tokyo Joe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke and Anna begin life in Tokyo, but their new house comes with strings attached.

_Chapter Twenty-One: Tokyo Joe:_

Daisuke viewed Tokyo as a fresh start for him and his daughter. He already had most of their things shipped to the city a day before their arrival. The man smiled as he looked at Anna sound asleep by his side on the train. She and him would be starting from scratch here; building from the ground up. He felt like Yuzo and Masako in _One Wonderful Sunday_. Father and daughter, would be a pair of new explorers in the vast world known as Tokyo.

_I will make all of them proud back in Kobe!_ When the train pulled up to the station, he shook his daughter awake.

"Anna-chan," he whispered. "Wake up; we're here." Anna fluttered her eyes open and looked around.

"Huh?" she asked.

"We're here in Tokyo," her father explained. Her face went flat as it clicked in her head.

"Oh," she mumbled. Daisuke tilted his head rather puzzled.

"You still don't sound too happy about this," he pointed out. Anna looked him as if he was out of his mind. Daisuke gave her a goofy little pout.

"Please look a little bit more excited for this?" he pleaded. His daughter didn't speak as she got out of her seat. Daisuke tried to keep himself positive for the first day. However, Kobe wouldn't fully let him go just yet. Daisuke walked up to the information desk. The clerk behind the desk gave him a huge smile when he came up to him.

"Welcome, sir!" he greeted him. "How may I help you today?"

"Hello," Daisuke greeted him back. "I would like to pick up my luggage."

"Yes sir," the other man said as he pulled up the information on the computer screen. "Please tell me your name."

"Kimoto Daisuke."

"Alright," the man behind the desk replied. He scanned for the name in question. A puzzled look came over the man's face. "That's strange."

Daisuke raised an eyebrow at him. "What's the problem?"

"It seems that your luggage was forwarded to another address just a little while ago," the man explained. The other man gave him a long blank stare.

"That can't be right," he replied. "Where were they forwarded to?"

"Let me see," the clerk said as he looked through the data on the screen. He clicked on the link and the schedule of tracking popped up in front of him.

"Oh yes," he said. "They were forwarded to this address right here." Daisuke leaned in for a closer look. Another confused look came over his face.

"But I've never heard of this place," he said, "Who forwarded my luggage there?"

"An old man, I believe he said that his name was Kato Iwao," the clerk replied.

An odd look came over Daisuke's face as he nervously laughed. "And why did he ship my things there?"

"All he said was that it was a gift from him to you," the clerk replied. Daisuke frowned at that answer.

"Excuse me," he spoke up. "But could I use your pay phone?"

"Sure," the clerk replied. "They are just outside the hall there."

"Thank you," the other man said with a bow. He quickly hurried past his waiting daughter and out the glass doors. She looked over at the equally puzzled clerk. Daisuke made it over to the phone and put in the right change for the call.

"Hello?" the operator asked. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I need to place a collect call to Kobe."

"Alright," he said. "Please give me the number."

"78-273-8821," Daisuke said as he tried to keep himself calm.

"One moment please," the operator responded. Daisuke paced around in the booth while he saved up the energy to give his former roommate a stern talking to. _That bastard_ , Daisuke thought. _How can he do this without my permission?_

"Hello?" the old man asked on the other line.

"Why would you do this to me?!" Daisuke shouted in the phone.

A pause followed that rather loud question. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Daisuke's face turned bright red. "You shipped my stuff to an address that I don't recognize!" Another pause followed that response.

"Oh! You got my going-away present."

"Going away present?!" Daisuke shouted.

"Yes," Kato answered. "Do you like it?"

"Why would you do this to me?" the younger man asked.

"Well, you and Anna-chan need a place to live in Tokyo, right?" he asked.

"That's not the point!" Daisuke yelled.

"Right?" Kato questioned him again. The younger man gritted his teeth.

"Yes!" he snapped.

"Well, I decided that I would give you and her a little start with a new house in your new city," he replied.

"But we didn't ask for this!" the father shouted.

"Could you please calm down now?" Kato asked., "Your shouting is hurting my ear." Daisuke opened his mouth to speak, but the open man cut him off before he could start up.

"Look," he said. "Take in a few deep breaths."

"Kato!" Daisuke hissed.

"Take in a few breaths," Kato replied. Daisuke drew his mouth closed and slowly inhaled a few breaths to calm himself down as instructed. The old man waited on the other line as he listened.

"Better?" he asked.

"Not really," Daisuke grumbled.

"Good enough," Kato said. "Now, what were you saying earlier?"

Daisuke groaned on his end of the line. "We didn't ask for this house. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage?"

"I will be doing that," the old man told him. Daisuke shook his head rather shocked.

"But I don't want to be in debt to you any further!" he wailed.

"Lower your voice," Kato told him again.

"I'm sorry," Daisuke replied.

"Thank you," the old man said. "And you won't owe me anything. Consider this a gift from me to you."

_It feels like it_ , Daisuke thought with a bitter frown on his face. "But why?"

"Because I can do this," Kato answered in confidence. Daisuke looked even more puzzled than before.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Why have you cared so much about Anna-chan and I over the years?"

He heard a little chuckle on the other line. "I'll save that for a later time in life."

"But…" Daisuke began to say.

"Goodbye, Dai-kun," the old man replied, "And good luck." He hung up before the younger man could try and speak again. Daisuke stared at the receiver in his hand. _That's it then_ , he thought as he dropped his shoulders. Was he going to be stuck owing everything to this man for the rest of his life? Daisuke sighed and lowered his head. _I might as well make the most of this_ , he thought. The man returned to the information desk.

"Is… everything okay?" the clerk asked. Daisuke did his best to put on his best fake smile.

"Do you have a pencil and paper I can borrow?" he asked.

"Sure," the clerk replied. "One second." The man reached into his desk and pulled out the item in question.

"What is the address that my stuff is at?" Daisuke asked once he took the pencil and paper in his possession.

"Kimoto Manor, block seven, Meguro, subarea four," the clerk read off to him. The other man copied down all of the information accordingly.

"Thank you," he replied.

"Anything else?" the clerk asked. Daisuke looked up at him with a strained smile.

"No, no," he replied. "I've got it all now." The clerk gave him a strange look on his face.

"Okay… Have a good say, sir," he replied. Daisuke gave him a small wave.

"You too," he said. The man walked over to his awaiting daughter.

"Come on, Anna-chan," he said. The twelve-year-old girl looked rather confused as she followed her father. On the way out, Daisuke snatched up a map to help them find their new house.

Daisuke's jaw dropped when they found the house in question. Anna's lit up with amazement.

"Wow!" she gasped.

"What the?!" her father shouted. This place wasn't a house; it was a freaking mini-palace. Kato must have dropped a large about of money just to buy this place. Daisuke's stomach turned as he looked at the address on the paper in his hand and the house in front of them many times. _I don't even want to know where he got the money to buy this place_.

"You know, Anna-chan," he spoke. "Maybe we should…" The man looked up to see that his daughter already opening the gate in front of them and going inside.

"Anna-chan!" the father yelled. The girl hurried up to the front door and turned to her father.

"Come on, Papa!" she shouted. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"But…" Daisuke murmured.

"Papa!" his daughter yelled again. The man sighed and dropped his shoulders. _Might as well_ , he thought. Daisuke followed behind on the stone path to the front step where his daughter was waiting.

"Where's the key?" she asked.

"I don't know," Daisuke replied as he looked around for it. The man reached into the mail slot to find his fingers touching cold metal.

"Hang on," he spoke up. The man took hold of the metal and pulled out his hand. "Here it is."

"Nice," Anna replied. Her father unlocked the door and they went inside. Their luggage was already inside waiting. Daisuke gave off a half-smile with a nervous chuckle. _That old bastard_ , he thought, _Now I'm probably going to own him for the rest of my life._ However, he might as well make the most of it. He and Anna started to unpack in the new house.

Despite being chained to yet another debt to Kato, Daisuke was determined to make the most he could out of Tokyo. The young man sat down at his desk and started to record another tape journal entry for the day.


	22. Kokoro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke tries to bond with Anna a year later.

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Kokoro:_

A year passed, the father and daughter settled into the Kimoto Manor and Tokyo life felt like it was second nature to them. Anna got into a decent junior high school and made plenty of good friends. Daisuke took a good look at his daughter. Anna began to remind him of his sisters as she got older. Like Yumiko, his daughter was pretty popular among her classmates and got along with everyone. At the same time, she had Kirika's kind nature. Both features made the man do a double-take every time he saw Anna. He could see their facial features in her. He had to remind himself a few times that Yumiko and Kirika were dead.

_You have to let go of the past_ , he thought. Somehow, each day reminded him that Anna would leave him too sooner or later. He knew that she couldn't stay around him forever. The man came to realize this after he hit stop on his tape recorder. _She's really growing up_ , he thought. Daisuke decided to try and make an effort to spend what little time he had left with his daughter.

One way was to see a movie together. Around this time, _Whisper of the Heart_ came out in theaters. Daisuke smiled as he saw this as the perfect opportunity. He waited until Anna came home from her friend's house.

"I'm home," Anna said as he got into the house.

"Welcome back," her father replied. He waited as his daughter took off her shoes and came into his office.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Good, good," her father answered. He turned his chair to face her. "Let's go out to a movie tomorrow."

Anna tilted her head at him. "What movie?"

He gave her a huge proud smile. " _Whisper of the Heart_." The glow from Daisuke's face started to dim away however when he noticed the disappointed look on her face. "What's the matter?"

"I don't want to see a kids' movie," she complained.

"But it's Studio Ghibli," Daisuke pointed out.

"So?" she asked.

"We have to see it," he insisted.

"No," Anna growled. "I'm going to hang out with some friends tomorrow." Daisuke gritted his teeth.

"Look," he snapped. "You and I barely spend any time together anymore! I'm trying my best here for a change!"

Anna snorted at him. "So?" He rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. His daughter trembled when she noticed an icy-burning look in his eyes. She winced under his painful grip as she tried to struggle away from him.

"Listen here!" he barked. "We barely get to spend time together and I want us to see this movie so badly! We're going to see it together whether you want to or not! You understand me?!" Anna looked up at him really puzzled.

"What is wrong with you, Papa?" she asked, "Why are you yelling at me like that?" Daisuke froze in terror at her words. This scene was him and Yasuo in their earlier days. He himself stood in Yasuo's place right now while Anna stood in his place. _No, I can't let it turn out like that again_ , he cried in his head. The man drew back trembling.

"Papa?" Anna asked.

"I'm so sorry," Daisuke whispered. The thirteen-year-old girl still didn't get what happened before her.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Her father rushed forward and grabbed her by the hands.

"Please see the movie with me?" he pleaded. "You would make me so happy."

"Papa," his daughter groaned.

"Please?" he asked again. Anna raised an eyebrow at him. _What has gotten into him?_ Daisuke hardly ever shouted at her before, even when disciplining her. He looked like he was about to cry, at his wit's end perhaps. Anna dropped her shoulders and sighed aloud.

"Fine," she grumbled. "I'll watch the stupid movie with you."

Daisuke bowed down at her feet. "Thank you so much, Anna-chan."

His daughter sneered at his reaction. _He's really creeping me out_ , she thought. After that, they couldn't really talk to each throughout dinner. The ticking clock in the background ate up most of the silence. Anna shoved more rice into her mouth. Daisuke glanced up at his child rather nervously. _This is bad_. _She probably hates me now. Why did I snap like that?_

_You are your mother's child, that's why_ , a familiar voice purred in his ear. Daisuke glanced over to his left and frowned.

_Oh, it's you_ , he replied in his mind.

Jin gave him a huge grin. _Hi there._

_What are you doing back? I thought you had gone away or something? Why are you showing back up again?_

Jin gave him an innocent little pout. _Aw, why don't you sound so happy to see me?_

_Why are you here?_

_Don't you know?_

_Know what?_

Jin's lips and nose barely touched the back of his ear. _Your shield won't hold her._

Daisuke clutched his chopsticks as tightly as he could. _I know that!_

The kitsune looked rather amused in hearing this. _Oh?_

_Look, why don't you go away again?_

_I can't._

_And why is that?_

Jin stretched out behind him. _I can't go back to sleep and I don't know why myself._ His eyes turned over to the thirteen-year-old girl eating dinner and staring at her father. _Maybe, she's willing me to wake up._

Daisuke clenched his teeth. _Never!_

Jin shrugged to himself. _Fine, believe what you want. It's only a matter of time, my master._

Anna put down her bowl and chopsticks.

"Thanks for dinner," she murmured. The girl bowed and quietly left the table. Later that evening, Anna was getting ready for bed when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Yes, Papa?" she asked.

"May I come in?" Daisuke whispered.

"Sure," his daughter answered. He slid open the door and peeked inside. He bowed down to the tatami mats again.

"I am so sorry I yelled at you this evening," he apologized again. "I don't know what came over me. Really I don't."

"It's okay, I guess," she said softly. Daisuke lifted his head, giving her a desperate look in his eye.

"It's just…" he spoke again. "I barely get to see you anymore. I know you're growing up and you have a life of your own, but please, don't forget about your old man."

Anna walked over to him and bent down to his level. "I haven't forgotten about you, I'm just busy with school and my friends."

"I know," he replied. "But please don't forget to spend time with me a little more, okay?" Anna shook her head uncertain. _You are a strange man at times_ , she thought.

"It's fine," the girl insisted. "Just go to bed. What time are we leaving in the morning?"

"Ten," Daisuke replied.

"Alright," Anna said. "I already called my friends and talked to them about the situation."

Daisuke looked at her like weary child. "I love you, Anna-chan."

"I love you too, Papa," his daughter said. "Good night."

"Good night," her father said back. Daisuke slid her door closed and went back to his room. Jin flew up next to him.

_That was easy_ , he whispered in his master's ear.

_Please shut up, I don't have time for your crap anymore._

Jin gave him a little pout. _Aw, then make time for me. You have no choice after all._

The father froze in the hallway. _What do you mean by that?_

_Oh, you know._

_No, I don't!_

The kitsune leaned in close to his master's shoulder and ear. _You'll have to feed me real soon._

Daisuke frantically shook his head. _No!_

_But you must!_

_I refuse to become a murderer! I'm not like them!_

_I have to be fed somehow._ Jin came around in front of him. _Because if you don't, you will die and then poor little Anna-chan will have to live with your family._

_No! I won't let that happen!_

_You better find a way to feed me then._

Daisuke clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he stormed back to his room for the night.

Anna shook her head to herself. She didn't really understand him at the time. Daisuke never talked about his childhood or the rest of their family. When he got home from work, he would sit at his desk and make recordings. He never even explained why they moved from Kobe to Tokyo last year. She still didn't think it was because of the job alone. Despite not asking questions anymore, Anna still felt like she had to know the truth one way or another. Maybe tomorrow, she could find out a little something about that guy.

By the next morning, she found Daisuke waiting for her in the living room. He gave her a huge smile.

"Ready to go?" the man asked.

"Yes, yes," his daughter replied. "Can we get this over with?"

Daisuke rose to his feet from the couch. "Alright, let's get going."

Anna did her best to put on a fake smile as she headed out the door with her father. Daisuke himself tried to put up a brave front. _I can't let Anna-chan know the truth just yet_ , he thought. This led his mind to question some things about himself. _How long will I be able to stay myself before the hunger takes over? How long will I have left before I die?_ The man decided to go ahead and prepare for the worst case scenario when it arose. Suddenly, he felt someone tapping him on the arm. The man looked down to see his daughter staring at him.

"Yes?" the man asked, blinking.

"Is something wrong?" Anna asked. "You seem awful quiet."

Daisuke forced himself to smile and shake his head. "Nothing, I just got lost in my thoughts." Anna stared at him suspiciously alerting her father. Daisuke perked up as he didn't even wait for her to speak.

"You know what?" he asked. "Let's just enjoy the day together and not think about anything else, okay?"

"Alright," Anna said uneasily.

"Good," Daisuke replied. "Let's hurry up; we don't want to miss the movie, do we?"

"No," the girl grumbled to herself. Father and daughter made it to the film without any trouble. Jin kept quiet for the rest of the day. After the movie, father and daughter had a late lunch, did a little shopping, and went home. Anna ended up having a hard time trying to convince her father that she didn't like the movie.


	23. E-Day Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke talks to a doctor about his potenial for sire blood for the Mother.

_Chapter Twenty-Three: E-Day Project:_

The first problem Daisuke had to try and satisfy Jin's hunger. Kitsune were rather persistent with their hunger. Sometimes it progressed to the point where they would torment their own masters. Daisuke refused to be a killer, but he had to do something.

At the university, he came up to Nazuka-sensei's classroom door and knocked.

"Enter," she said.

"Excuse me," Daisuke said as he opened the door. He found her sitting at her desk grading papers. She glanced up and saw him watching her from the doorway.

"Oh, Kimoto-san," the mythology professor said. "This is rather unexpected. What can I do for you?" Daisuke quietly slid the door closed.

"I need your help with something," he admitted.

"Alright," his boss said. "What's the problem?" Daisuke pressed his lips together as he readied himself to talk.

"I have a kitsune problem," he confessed. Nazuka-sensei looked at him rather intrigued.

"Kitsune problem?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. Daisuke walked over to her desk. He sheepishly told the professor about his family history. He thought that she would turn away in disgust. Instead, she looked at him completely fascinated.

"Whoa," she whispered. "Whoa!" Daisuke started to back away. The professor gave him a strange look as he did so.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"You're not afraid of me?"

"No," Nazuka-sensei said. "I've heard a similar case like yours a couple years ago."

Daisuke raised an eyebrow at her. "Where?"

"I've studied many stories on kitsune-tsukai ever since my college days," she answered. "I believe there is a way to help you." Daisuke looked at her with big desperate eyes.

"Please, tell me how!" he pleaded. Nazuka-sensei held his hand to help him calm down.

"I myself can't help you," she answered. "But there is a priest who works as a doctor downtown in Ikebukuro."

"Ikebukuro?" the teaching assistant asked.

"Here, let me give you the address and number," the professor told him. She reached down to her desk and pulled out a pencil and notepad. Daisuke watched as she scribbled down the information that he needed.

"Take this," she told him as she slid the paper over to him.

"Thank you," Daisuke said with a bow. He shoved the note into his pocket. The man turned to walk out the door.

"You will need to call and make an appointment first!" Nazuka-sensei yelled after him.

"Alright," Daisuke said as he waved her off. That evening as Anna slept in her room, Daisuke made a quick phone call. He paced around in the kitchen as he waited.

_Come on, pick up!_

"Hello?" a tired voice asked on the other line. Daisuke stood up straight as fast as he could.

"Yes sir!" he said. "My name is Kimoto Daisuke and I am need of your help." A pause came over the other line that made him rather nervous.

"What do you need?" the man on the other line asked. Daisuke relaxed before he began to speak again.

"I am a kitsune-tsukai and I want a way to control my kitsune's hunger before I forced to take more extreme measures," he explained as calmly as he could. He heard pencil scratching on the other line.

"Do you want to get rid of this kitsune?" the man on the other line asked.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Daisuke explained. "I just want a way to control the hunger. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure," he replied. "Sure. Come by my office tomorrow at nine in the morning. You have the address, right?"

"Yes sir," Daisuke replied as he wrote down the time. "I got it."

"Alright then," the man on the other line replied. "You have a good night."

"You too," the younger man answered. Daisuke hung up the phone with some relief that part of his problems could be fixed for the time being. His only hope was that Anna would not find out just yet.

Jin asked, _are you really trying to get rid of me?_ Daisuke didn't answer him as he walked back to his room. The next morning, Daisuke left his daughter a note and headed out to the doctor's office. Jin followed behind with each step.

_You still didn't answer my question_ , he spoke up. His master didn't respond as they rounded the corner. The kitsune frowned at the silence. _Come on, talk to me, please?_

Daisuke still didn't talk as they crossed the street. Jin chuckled nervously to himself. _Okay, this is getting too creepy. Come on, please say something already! Say something, damn it!_

His master still wouldn't talk as they took the bus across the city. Daisuke finally arrived at his destination. At this time, Jin gave up trying to communicate with the man. The man looked down at his watch.

"Heh," he said to himself. "I'm only about ten minutes early." Jin lowered his head. _Damn_ , he thought. _He really is going to go through this._ Daisuke pushed open the glass doors and went inside.

The waiting room was virtually empty. An old couple sat near the back corner. Daisuke took a seat near the door and picked up a magazine. He hoped that time would go faster because he was starting to feel Jin's hunger through his body. The man could ignore it for the time being. However, he knew it wouldn't be long now. Daisuke shut his eyes to block it out the best that he could.

_Hang in there_ , he told himself. _You don't want to became a murderer, do you? Keep yourself focused for Anna-chan's sake._ Daisuke opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening. He turned to see a woman about two years younger than him was with a clipboard in her hand.

"Kimoto Daisuke," she called.

The man rose to his feet. "That's me."

"Right this way," the girl said. Daisuke followed her down the hall to a back room. The woman opened the door for him.

"Thank you," Daisuke said softly with a bow. He walked inside and took a seat in the chair against the back wall.

"Tai-sensei will be right with you," the woman said. She bowed her head and closed the door. Daisuke glanced up at the clock ticking above his head. _Jin's been quiet lately. The hunger must have rested for now._ However, he had no idea how long this would last.

_I won't turn into a murderer just like they did._ His attention jerked upwards when he heard the door slide open. A man in his early- fifties, dressed in a set of priest robes stood in the doorway eyeing him.

"Kimoto-san?" he asked.

"Yes, sir?" Daisuke asked. Tai-sensei took a seat at his desk beside of Daisuke.

"So, talk to me," he said. "Give me more details about your condition."

The other man shuffled his feet. "Are you familiar with the Eda-Kimoto clan?"

"Yes," Tai-sensei answered as he took notes. Daisuke swallowed hard as he readied himself to speak again.

"Kimoto Haruka is my mother," he muttered. He paused when the writing stopped on the paper. Daisuke prepared himself to be looked down upon from this man.

"Do you have any personal ties to them?" Tai-sensei asked. The other man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"No!" he snapped. "I refuse to associate myself with a clan of murderers!" He turned his head to the doctor. "She killed my sisters!"

Tai-sensei raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that right?"

"I don't have the proof," he murmured.

"Have you killed anyone?" the doctor asked.

"No!" Daisuke snapped. "I refuse to start now!" The doctor finished notes, he studied them for a moment as he pushed up his glasses in a very interested manner.

"What exactly do want?" he asked.

"I want a way to maintenance my kitsune," Daisuke answered.

"Is that all?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," the patient said boldly. Tai-sensei pondered the whole situation in his head. A small smile came across his face.

"I have just the thing," he said. "Wait here." The priest doctor walked over to his medicine cabinet and unlocked it.

"Tell me," Tai-sensei said as he searched the different pill bottles inside. "How long has this problem been going on?"

"Just recently," Daisuke replied. "It started weeks before." The other man glanced behind him.

"Weeks?" he asked. "When did it first manifest?"

"When I was fourteen," Daisuke answered.

"Fourteen?"

"That's right."

"So how come the hunger is starting just now?" the doctor asked.

"Actually, I just moved to Tokyo last year," Daisuke answered. "I've been in a small village in Kobe thirteen years prior."

"Was this village on consummated ground?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Daisuke answered.

Tai-sensei thought about the information that he just learned. "Hm, that would explain it."

Daisuke tilted his head at him. "Explain what?"

"Consummated ground will neutralize a kitsune in a tsukai's soul," the doctor explained. "So when you moved out here to Tokyo, your kitsune woke back up and is trying to catch up on all of the hunger from the past ten years."

Daisuke narrowed his eyes rather confused. "But I've been out to Tokyo many times on business. My kitsune never spoke then."

"Do you remember any charms or anything that was given to you before you left?" Tai-sensei asked. Daisuke took a moment to ponder all of this. "My daughter did hand me a teddy charm before I left. Why? Was there a spell on it or something?"

"It is possible," Tai-sensei answered as he spotted the bottle he was looking for, "Here, try this."

Daisuke looked at him as he handed him the bottle. "What are these?" Tai-sensei gave him a little smile.

"You can say these pills trick the kitsune into thinking that it has already eaten," he explained. "It's not much, but it will hold you over for now."

Daisuke slowly took them. "Thank you, sir."

"You can pay at the front desk," the doctor told him. The men bowed and parted ways. Daisuke felt a little better as at least one major priority was taken care of in his life for now.


	24. Oto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke's past catches up with him in Tokyo.

_Chapter Twenty-Four: Oto:_

Daisuke looked at the pills in his hand as he sat in his home office. He played back everything Tai-sensei told him before he left the doctor's office…

"In order for this to be effective, you must take one pill every six hours each day. These pills will not taste good. They will be completely bitter at first, but you will get used to the taste."

"Alright," Daisuke replied.

"Also, one of the biggest side effects is lightheadedness. If you are not careful these will knock you right out worse than any alcoholic drink could."

"How long will I be out?"

"A couple of hours' tops, but it won't be anything too serious. Trust me, these pills are really effective. However, I must warn you. This is only a temporary fix; there is no telling if and when your body will start to reject them."

Daisuke's eyes widened in panic. "When could that be?"

Tai-sensei pushed up his glasses. "In most cases, it would take years for that to happen. It depends on how strong the kitsune's hunger builds back up over time." He noticed the color drained from his patient's face. He gave Daisuke a calm smile. "There, there. You're in good health, so it would probably be a _long_ take before it hits. Come back and see me in six months, okay?"

Daisuke nodded rather uneasy. "Alright."

The man placed the pill bottle in his hand back at desk. _Take one every six hours for every day. Seems easy enough to remember, anything to keep Jin in check until I figure out a better plan to make this work._ He opened the bottle and dumped a pill in the palm of his hand. He looked at the dark green oval-shaped capsule that seemingly stared back at him. _Well here goes nothing_ , he closed his eyes and popped it into his mouth. The man shuddered at the taste.

_Yuck!_ Daisuke reached over for a bottle of juice that he bought earlier in the day and washed down the vile pill. It took him about a minute to get over the taste. The man forced himself to smile. _I have to do this_ , he thought, _I am not a killer!_ He closed his eyes and drew in a long heavy breath. The lightheadedness didn't waste any time, striking him only seconds later. _My head hurts_ , Daisuke thought. The man felt like passing out. He had to struggle to get out of his chair. Daisuke felt the blood rushing to his head from the sudden movement.

_Okay, maybe I should slow down here_ , the man thought. He walked over to his futon and collapsed into the sheets. The darkness was the last thing that he could remember swallowing him up.

Hours later, Daisuke drew open his eyes when he heard pounding on the front door from his office. _Huh?_ He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The man wandered down to the front door.

"Who's there?" he asked as he peeked out of the peep hole. He froze when he recognized an old eye from his past peeping in. An old lady dressed in black stood on the porch looking into the peep hole of the door. Alarm spread through Daisuke's brain.

"Mother?" he asked. The old lady grinned and waved at him on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Daisuke," Haruka replied through the closed door. Daisuke formed a quick shield with his fingers.

"What do you want?!" he snapped as he pressed it against the door. "How the hell did you find me?!"

The old lady laughed at him on his porch. "You sad little fool! Did you really think that you could hide from me forever?"

"Yes!" her son yelled.

"I will always find you," she hissed. "As long as you have my blood in your body, we are all connected until death. Though I must admit that was rather clever of you to hide out in that village on consummated ground like that. I didn't expect to find you through your kitsune like that again."

"I have nothing to do with you people!" Daisuke shouted. "I am not a murderer!"

"But you have to!" Haruka snapped. "How long before you have to feed that kitsune of yours?"

"That's none of your business!" her son yelled with anger flaring in his eyes. His anger pushed him beyond his limits, forming a much stronger magical shield in front of him. Haruka all but laughed at his efforts.

"Oh, but it is," she said. "You are my son after all." The man hissed at her as he put more power into his shield.

"What do you want with me?" Daisuke asked as sweat formed on his brow. Haruka put up her hands and shrugged.

"I just wanted to see my granddaughter," she said ever so simply. Daisuke gritted his teeth while pushing even more magic into the shield in front of him.

"She is nothing to you!" he yelled. "Go away! Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

By this time, Anna was woken up by shouting at the front door from her room. She sat up in her bed and looked around in the darkness.

"What is going on out there?" she mumbled to herself. The thirteen-year-old girl climbed out of bed and wandered down the half-asleep. She came to the doorway of the living room and peeked out through squinted eyes. Daisuke was yelling at somebody at the front door, but she couldn't see who it was. All she noticed that there was a blue light coming from his hands as he pressed them against the wooden door whilst yelling at someone on the outside. Her tired mind couldn't grasp what she was witnessing before her.

"Papa?" she mumbled half-asleep.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Haruka said on the outside. Something about the tone in her voice sent a chill up his spine as it dug up old memories of the pain that he endured for seventeen years. He shook his head of such misery.

_I mustn't break down_ , he thought. _I have to stay strong!_ "And why is that?!" the man yelled at his mother.

"Oh, don't you know?" the old lady asked.

"Know what?!" her son snapped.

"Your little baby's soul is dragging us towards her," Haruka said in ice-chilled tone. "There is no guarantee that we won't keep coming back for her."

"You're lying!" Daisuke yelled.

"Oh, what?" his mother asked. "Did you really think that little sealing spell of yours would really hold up?"

Daisuke felt that shock in his very soul, but tried not to show it. "Go away! You have nothing to do with us anymore! If you don't I will call the police and have you arrested for harassment!" The blue light of the shield completely coved the door by this point. Daisuke didn't know how much longer his body could take all of this. Haruka simply put up her hands.

"Fine, fine," she said, "I only wanted to pass that little message along away." The old lady turned to leave, but then glanced over her shoulder. "This isn't over yet, my disobedient son." Daisuke listened for her footsteps as she left the porch. Once he was sure that she was gone, he drew back his shield and collapsed onto the floor panting.

"Damn it," he muttered. "I hadn't counted on using that much power like that." He paused when he heard someone cry out for him. The man was horrified to see Anna running over to him.

"Papa? Are you alright?" she cried. Daisuke gave off a weak chuckle as he closed his eyes. _Perfect_ , he thought. _On top of all of this, my daughter just witnessed everything._ He opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Yes," he replied. "I'm sorry to have worried you like this." He struggled to sit up, but Anna stopped him.

"Don't get up," she insisted. "Please just stay down."

Her father pushed her hands away. "I'll be fine."

The look on his daughter's face told him that she didn't believe him. "What was that all about? You woke me up with all of the shouting. Who was that, Papa?"

"No one," he lied trying to put up his best smile for her. "I'm so sorry to have woken you up, honey."

"What was that weird blue light coming from your hands?" she asked. Her father stopped her before she could ask any more questions.

"I'll explain everything in the morning," he brushed off. "Just help me, and take me back to bed please."

"Okay…" Anna said uneasily. "Give me your hand."

"I might not be able to stand too well," he explained. "I might have to lean on you for a bit."

"Just don't crush me," his daughter said.

"Alright on the count of three," Daisuke told her once he put his arm around her shoulders, "Ready? One… Two… Three." He felt wobbly-legged as he tried to stand back up. Anna did her best to keep from toppling over.

"Careful," he told her.

"Yes," she said in a low voice. As he walked down the hall to his room, that old sinking feeling came to Daisuke again. Anna was drawing his family to her. No, that couldn't be right, could it? Was the shield that he placed inside of his daughter starting to break already? He knew it wouldn't be that strong to begin with, but still. All of this reminded him that there were still some things that he needed to do to prepare Anna for the Hell approaching them.


	25. War and Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke tries his best to protect Anna from his family's past now that Haruka has tracked him down.

_Chapter Twenty-Five: War and Peace:_

Daisuke didn't want to admit it, but had no choice. The peace that he tried so desperately to keep was now shattered. Anna still didn't know the truth about their family. Ideally, he would be happy to never have to tell her. However, reality it seems would disagree.

First, Daisuke collected all of his old notes. Haruka made the boys study tsukai magic throughout their childhood. They once tired into seducing their prey and killing them for their kitsune. The man was disgusted with his past in these endless pages of text, so much so that he refused to teach them to Anna or dirty her hands in their blood-soaked clan. Daisuke even tried to destroy them once before she was even born. Burning them wouldn't work; he tried that the day after he ran away from home. The student found himself shocked to find the notes back on his desk without a single hint of damage on them. Daisuke was so horrified that he ended up running out of his room. He tried everything after that, but his notes always came back in one piece. In the end, Daisuke resorted to locking them away and putting a barrier around the hiding place. The man kept them well-hidden in his desks ever since. Until now, he hadn't thought about them at all.

Daisuke sat back at his desk. He stared at the ceiling as he replayed what he needed to do to seal off his notes. He needed to put his books in different boxes, seal them up with tape, and place charms all over the boxes. Removing the barrier was already taken care of just seconds earlier. The man glanced over at the clock on his wall. Eight in the morning and he still had some time to execute this. Anna was in her bathroom, getting ready for school. Daisuke timed himself to move.

_Alright_ , he thought. He got up from his desk and went out to the storage building. He returned with eight big storage boxes. One by one, Daisuke filled them up and taped them closed. He drew out the charms that he collected from different temples over the years that he had hidden in another drawer of his desk, and taped them down all around the boxes. He rose to his feet and chanted a sealing spell over them. Blue lights illuminated around them all, and soon vanished. Daisuke stood back and smiled. This would hold until after he died. He glanced over at the clock. He still had about ten minutes to risk it. After weighing his options, he shook his head.

_It's too much trouble right now_ , the man thought. It would be best to move the boxes after Anna left for school. Daisuke put on a brave face and headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. As planned, he pretended that everything was normal. However, his daughter could sense otherwise.

"Are you alright, Papa?" she asked at the kitchen table. Daisuke waved her off as he drank up his tea.

"I'm fine," he said.

"What was all that about last night?" his daughter asked. Daisuke lowered his cup with shaky hands. He hoped that she would've forgotten about last night's shouting match after she got a good night sleep.

"It was nothing," he tried to lie again. Anna looked at him unamused, it was clear she didn't believe his words. Daisuke didn't enjoy the look in his daughter's eyes either. He searched for something else to talk about with her.

"How's summer school been coming along?" he asked.

"Good," the girl answered. "My class is having a little party after we take exams today."

"Oh, a party?" her father asked.

"That's right," Anna remarked.

"Do you need me to make you something or get anything?" he asked.

"No," Anna replied. "I'm good; I can just pick up something on the way there." She paused before setting up for the next question. "Are you feeling okay?"

Daisuke chewed on his pickled ginger before glancing over at him. "Of course, I am. Why would you ask?"

"You've been falling asleep a lot lately," his daughter pointed out. "Are you sick or something?"

Daisuke lowered his chopsticks on his bowl. He looked up at her with a little smile and said. "I've been a little tired lately. But other than that, I'm fine. Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

Anna shook her head rather uneasily. "No."

"You're going to be late," Daisuke pointed out.

She looked up at the clock on the stove. "Oh crap! Bye Papa!" Anna rose to her feet and rushed out the door. However, she turned around and gave Daisuke a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, honey," he said. "Good luck on your exams today."

"Bye-bye!" Anna yelped as she raced out the door again. "Thank you!" Daisuke smiled as he heard the door slam shut. _Oh to be young and careless again_ , he thought. His mood turned serious as he remembered that he still had work to do. The man cleared the table and went back to his office. This would be the hard part. His only hope was that Anna would never have to learn about this dark family secret for years. _I'm sorry to leave you in the dark like this, Anna-chan_ , he thought. _But this is for your own good._ He started to carry the boxes out to the backyard. Carrying heavy container boxes out to a storage building in the intense heat of the summer was something that Daisuke didn't really look forward to. However, his desperation pushed him to keep moving forward step by step.

_I have to get this over with today_ , he thought. He collapsed over the last box just as he got up to the building. Daisuke paused to catch his breath and go over what he needed to do next. He was already suppressing Jin's growing hunger and moving his notes out of Anna's reach. Daisuke lifted his head.

"I have to make charms for her," he noted. The man turned and looked at the open storage building. _I can do this_ , he thought. Daisuke pushed himself to his feet, picked up the first box, and carried it into the open storage building.

Jin watched from above the whole time. The kitsune shook his head to himself. _Give it up, kid_ , he thought. _Our mother will not let you have your way. You've heard the stories. This will not end well for you._

Daisuke moved the last box into the open storage building. He closed the doors and locked it up for good he hopes. The man sat down on the path and breathed heavily.

" _This will not work, you know that, right?_ " Jin asked. Daisuke ignored him and pushed himself back to his feet.

_I need to take my pill_ , the man thought. He walked back into the house and made it to his office. It felt so good to have another weight lifted off his shoulders. He just needed to take his medication and go to work. The difficult part of being on the meds at first was not to fall asleep during the work day. The faculty and administration at Tokyo University approved of him using the pills. Their lack of questions made Daisuke slightly uncomfortable.

_It's just like the village back in Kobe_ , he thought. It had been a year since he last heard or spoke to those people. He sometimes wondered how they were doing. Kato paid most of the bills of the house, gas, electricity, water, phone, and everything else. Daisuke kept trying to vain to get the old man to stop.

"At least let me pay some of the bills," the younger man pleaded many times on the phone last month. "I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you out here in Tokyo."

"It's fine," Kato insisted. "I don't mind." Nothing seemed to get through to this man. However, after Haruka's late night visit, such concerns seemed trivial now. Remembering all of this reminded Daisuke of a burning question he yearned to ask Kato.

On his lunch break, Daisuke gathered up his change and called back Kato back in Kobe on a pay phone. He paced around as the other line rang. _Come on, you_ _pick up the phone_ , the younger man thought in his growing impatience. _This is urgent._

"Hello?" an old man asked on the other line. Daisuke quickly stopped short in place.

"Kato-san?" he asked in a matching tone.

"No, this is Yamamoto-san," the old man replied. "I'm currently watching Iwao's house. Who is this?"

"It's me, Daisuke," the younger man answered.

"Oh, Dai-kun!" Yamamoto-san said happy to hear the familiar voice. "How have you been?"

"I'm good. Listen, do you know where Kato-san is at the moment?"

"No, he just stepped out a little while ago."

Daisuke's stomach turned upon hearing this. "Well, when will he be back?"

"This evening, I believe," Yamamoto-san replied.

"This evening?" Daisuke repeated feeling his impatience winning. The thought of waiting to get the answer to his question stung him deeply. _Dammit, I don't really have the time. But then what else can I do?_

"That's right, shall I take a message for you?"

Daisuke bit his lower lip. This suddenly took a turn for the grim. He swallowed hard and took in another breath. He lowered his head feeling his spirits fall, he spoke back in a low voice. "Just have him call me this evening when he gets in."

"Okay," the old man said quite concerned. "You sound worried about something. Are you alright? Is everything okay in Tokyo?"

Daisuke quickly nodded with the phone to his ear. "Yes, of course I'm _fine_. Just have Kato-san call me back, okay?"

"Okay, goodbye..."

"Bye," Daisuke replied before hanging up. He had to keep up his brave face for the rest of the work day. _Just my luck_ , he pondered as he slowly walked away.


	26. High Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke's nightmares from the past come back to haunt him.

_Chapter Twenty-Six: High Tide:_

Daisuke started to relive his old nightmares again. His nights became haunted with sorrowed and heartbreak. Tonight was no different…

_-Tonight's Dream-_

Pitch darkness was all around him. Thick clouds of it lingered around as if uncertain of where to go. No outside sounds existed in this place. He's seen this before in his nightmares as a child. This time felt different however, but the man couldn't exactly guess how. Daisuke looked around as he walked.

"Yumiko-chan!" he called. "Kirika-chan!" The winds howled over his head. He could hear those noises inside of his mind. _Why does it always have to drive me crazy like this?_ Covering his ears didn't help either. The man trembled as he made himself pushed forward. He remembered seeing something like this before.

_I have to find my sisters!_ Daisuke forced himself to keep moving.

"Girls! Where are you?" he asked. "I need you!"

_I need them_ , he thought. _I can't survive without them like this._ Daisuke hoped that nothing bad happened to his sisters. A cold drop fell on his left cheek. The man froze with a chill down his spine. Against his better judgment, Daisuke inched his head upwards to the endless black sky above. Blood drops began increase, raining down on him. Daisuke shielded himself in vain as he tried to run away from the endless blood. No matter where he went, more blood fell upon him. Despite all of it falling on him, the endless black refused to let up. It soaked through his clothes and hair. The smell made him want to vomit.

All of his running led to a pristine shrine. Daisuke slowed to a stop to check his breath. However, he found himself greeted with a horrifying site. Yumiko's and Kirika's bodies lay before him on the shrine floor with their blood draining into ground, and raining down on him. He backed away with his screams drowned out in the silently bloody rain. He froze when a small voice filled his ears.

"Help me."

He turned to see a large hand reaching out to grab him. Daisuke shook his head in fear.

_No, stay away! Stay away!_

The hand sailed over and grabbed him. The man didn't even get chance to scream as it swallowed him whole into a bleaker emptiness.

_-Reality-_

Daisuke suddenly awoke feeling sick to his stomach and sweating as he stared up at the ceiling. He shut his eyes in displeasure of recalling the nightmare again two nights in a row.

_-Five Nights Ago-_

Daisuke was walking down the hall to his own living room in upbeat mood.

"Yumiko-chan, Kirika-chan!" he exclaimed. "I have someone I'd like you to meet!" The man raced into the living room only to find it empty. He looked around rather puzzled.

"Yumiko-chan? Kirika-chan?" he asked. An uneasy fear crept inside him as he took slow steps backwards. It didn't take him long to notice that his home had turned into background of endless black. Daisuke's heart pounded against his chest.

"Anna-chan?" he asked. "Anna-chan?!" The man's eyes widened in panic as he noticed the darkness floating towards him. That same whisper filled his ears again.

"Help me."

That same hand returned and it looked like it was swallowing up a teenage girl. Just by looking at the long skinny legs, he knew who it was.

"Stop it!" the man tried to scream out. "Stop! Let her go! She has nothing to do with my family! Let her go!" Once her feet went through the darkened cloud-like skin, the hand turned its attention on Daisuke. He tried back away as it inched closer towards him.

_Get away from me! Why won't you leave alone? Get away! Get away!_

Nevertheless, the hand grabbed the man's body and swallowed him up. The last thought in Daisuke's mind before he was consumed was of his daughter. He disappeared into the endless darkness around him.

_-Reality-_

Daisuke couldn't understand why he kept having these dreams, and now of all times? They stopped shortly after Anna was born. Even before then they started to diminish. Daisuke couldn't piece together why his dreams had started up again. The man didn't want to think that his move to Tokyo was the cause of all this trouble. Daisuke decided to try and rule out all other possibilities first before drawing his own conclusion. He called up Tai-sensei to see if these dreams were a side effect of his medicine one afternoon.

"No," the older man explained calmly over the phone. "Your dreams are not being caused by the pills I am giving you."

"Then, why do I keep having these dreams?" Daisuke asked.

"I don't know what to tell you," Tai-sensei replied. "It's a psychological cause. Have you had any real stress in your life lately?" Daisuke bit his lower lip at that question.

"You can say that…" he mumbled.

"Well then," the doctor said over the phone. "I would suggest that you try and get rid of the cause of the stress in your life, and perhaps talk to someone like a therapist."

_I don't think it's that easy_ , Daisuke thought. Instead, he replied. "Sure, I think you're right."

"Is there anything else you need?" the good doctor asked him. Daisuke shook his head on his end.

"No, I'm good," he lied. "I'm sorry to have bothered you like this."

"Oh no, it's not a problem at all," Tai-sensei brushed off the apology. "Call me whenever you have any more problems or questions you would like to ask me."

"Alright, you have a good day," the younger man said before he hung up. Daisuke slumped over his desk and sighed. _Where does that leave me now?_ He reflected to the past few weeks. Anna herself looked rather uneasy about his state over the months. Her questions kept piling up day after day.

"Are you feeling okay, Papa?" she would start the day off with. He did his best to either dodge her questions or be pretty vague in his answers. That reliable tactic was failing by this point. Finally, he had to break it down the best that he could to her in small bites. He lowered his chopsticks on his bowl at the kitchen table as Anna headed off to go on a class trip to the museum.

"Anna-chan, wait!" Daisuke spoke up. His daughter turned when she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. The man stood before her with a serious look in his eyes.

"Look," he spoke up. "I'm so sorry to have been avoiding your questions like this."

"What kind of problems?" she asked. Daisuke pressed his lips together before preparing to deliver his answer.

"Personal problems," he said in a very low voice.

"Are they really bad?"

Her father paused for eleven seconds as if to think of the best way to answer her question. "Yes, they are." He noticed the glow dimming in his beloved daughter's face.

"Papa…" she murmured. Daisuke put on quick fake smile as he tried to wave off her worries.

"Don't worry!" he was quick to brush off. "I will try to have everything fixed in my life and tell you everything when I'm ready to, alright?"

Anna looked at him rather uncertain. "You promise?"

Daisuke gave her a thumbs-up as he nodded. "I won't let you down."

Anna perked up when he said that. "Alright, see you later."

"Have a good day, sweetie," Daisuke said back. He felt so much better as she closed the door behind her. Jin floated beside of his master, shaking his head.

" _You know you just told her another lie, right?_ " the kitsune asked. Daisuke pretended not to hear him.

"Oh yeah," he said aloud. "I have to go take my medicine now." Jin rolled his eyes as his master turned and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

" _You know those pills will quit working one day, right?_ " he asked, " _You will have to really feed me one day._ " The bathroom door slid shut as a response. Daisuke took his pill and headed off to work. He wasn't as on edge as he had been in the last two weeks. The man actually felt much better today. His colleagues and the students couldn't help but notice.

"You're in a good mood today, Kimoto-san," a history professor pointed out, "You have a date tonight or something?"

"No, nothing of that sort," the younger man replied, "Just had a little talk with my daughter for a change is all." Daisuke could manage with this. For now, all he could do was smile. That's all he had been doing to keep himself together ever since Haruka showed up on his door that night back in July. Speaking of which, he still had his nightmares to deal with. Maybe he should talk to a therapist about them. However, one phone call changed the entire game plan for him.

That evening, Daisuke had just gotten home when the phone rang. Curious, he went over and picked it up in the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Daisuke-kun?" a familiar old voice asked on the other line.

"Kato-san?" he asked. "Is that you?"

"Daisuke-kun," the old man told him in a stern calm voice over the phone. "Please listen to what I have to tell you."


	27. Logic Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kato talks with Daisuke to help him through this tough time.

_Chapter Twenty-Seven: Logic Moon:_

Daisuke froze at the seriousness behind his words.

"There is something I didn't tell you," Kato began. "I knew your mother when we were younger."

"What?" Daisuke asked with shock in his voice. Kato didn't wait for him to ask any more questions before he continued.

"I met them when I was about eleven or twelve years old," he picked up. At first, Daisuke didn't see where this was going.

"Them?" he asked.

"You mother and her twin sister, Juriko," the old man replied. Daisuke shook his head really puzzled. "Mom doesn't have any siblings," he said.

"She did," Kato insisted. "She was your aunt, Juriko."

"She never told me about this," Daisuke said.

"There are many things your mother never told you," the old man said in a stern tone. He now had the younger man's attention.

"Okay," he said in low voice. "When did you meet them?" Daisuke looked over his shoulder to check if his daughter was sound asleep in her bed.

"We all live in a small village in Nara," Kato went on, "They lived with their parents and their father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from World War II."

"Now, she told us that," Daisuke said. "What happened to this sister of hers?"

"She died in 1950 on her birthday," the old man explained.

"What?" he asked.

"She was skating on an icy pond and for no reason at all, the ice broke underneath and she fell in," Kato replied, "She drowned and died of hypothermia."

Daisuke already had the next question in mind when he caught his tone. "You don't believe it was an accident, do you?"

"Your mother killed her," Kato said in a serious tone.

Daisuke looked rather puzzled over the phone. "But how? Aunt Juriko was out on the ice, right?"

"You remember how your powers manifest in your clan, yes?" Kato asked.

"Of course," Daisuke replied. "Our powers manifest after we make one certain wish in our teens years-" He froze when he said those words as he drew his own conclusion. "You don't mean to say…"

"Yes," Kato answered.

"But why?" Daisuke asked.

"Jealousy," the old man simply said.

The younger man's eyes widened with such alarm. "What did you say?"

"Juriko was pretty popular and not bad to look at back then," Kato explained with a little nostalgia in his voice. "Your mother was also lovely too, but nobody took notice of her."

Daisuke tried to put the facts together in his head. "So, mom probably killed my aunt because she got more attention than she did?"

"That's my belief, anyway," the old man summed up. He paused when another thought crossed his mind. "It's funny, Haruka always wanted to be alone."

"I believe that," Daisuke replied. His own questions started up in his head again. "Hey, Kato-san."

"Yes, boy?"

"Did you know who I was when I came running to the village?"

"Not at first," the old man admitted. "But then, I did a little background check on you through a couple of detective friends of mine." Daisuke's face dropped when he heard his answer. _How many connections does this guy have?_ _Who is he?_

"So, why didn't you try to send me back to my family?" the younger man asked.

"Your daughter," Kato replied.

Daisuke looked rather confused when he heard that. "But why?"

Kato paused as he grinded his teeth over the phone. "There are two reasons for that."

"And they are?"

"First, Anna-chan reminded me of my own daughter," Kato said. Daisuke really hadn't expected to hear that one.

"You had a daughter?"

"And a wife," the old man replied.

"What happened to them?"

"I'm going to tell you a little story," Kato answered. "Do you have time for this?"

Daisuke looked at the kitchen clock. Something told him this would take a while, but he needed to know every single little detail order to stop this madness that had returned to him. He might as well hear him out. "Sure, why not?"

"Alright," Kato said. "Did you know I used to be a priest?"

The younger man's jaw dropped at that question. "What?!"

The old man chuckled over the phone. "It's true."

Daisuke's eyes shifted around at first. "Then, why did you stop?"

"I fell in love," the former priest said simply.

"Fell in love?" Daisuke repeated.

"Back in spring of 1959, I met a young woman named Hino Michiko," the old man answered, "Me being young and naïve then, I fell in love with her. Michiko-chan was a bright and beautiful sweetheart. She came from a wealthy high-class family. I didn't care about any of that. I loved Michiko-chan for who she was. There was a problem, however. I was a priest and wanted to keep my vow of chastity."

"Then what happened?" the younger man asked.

"I turned to another priest for help. He told me to act on my feelings in a pure way. He suggested taking it slow. I wasn't sure at first. In the end, I asked Michiko-chan out on a date. She said yes. From there, we became a couple," Kato explained, "Four years later, Michiko-chan and I were married. We were a happy couple, yet Michiko-chan kept having the feeling that we were missing something. She didn't know what it was for years. So one day, I wished that the answer would find her. Then in summer of 1968, Michiko-chan started feeling sick. I thought my wife had come down with a stomach virus. Turns out, my Michiko-chan was pregnant. She had finally gotten her answer. On February second 1969, our angel, Midori-chan, was born. Her mother and I loved her so much. You could say that we were an ideal family, but then it all went to pieces."

"What happened?" Daisuke asked.

"A month after her sixth birthday, Midori-chan fell ill," Kato went on, "At first, it was minor, but then, it just got worse and worse. The doctors couldn't help her and Michiko-chan and I didn't know what to do. All we could do was watch our daughter's life slip away. On September twelfth, Midori-chan died when she was only seven. I couldn't even do the funeral ceremony; another priest had to take my place. Then a month later, Michiko-chan became ill with the same disease Midori-chan had. Six months later, she was dead too."

"That's terrible…" Daisuke said.

"It was as if after Midori-chan died, my wife had lost the will to live," the old man said with a trembling voice. He began to chuckle.

"I have healing powers," Kato spoke up. "How ironic! A man with great healing powers and I couldn't even save my own family from illness! After that, I lost interest in life. I quit being a priest after Michiko-chan's death and have kept to myself ever since until you and Anna-chan came along."

The last statement brought Daisuke to his other question. "What was the other reason you didn't turn Anna-chan and myself back to my family?"

Kato paused to recollect himself and deliver the other bombshell. "Anna-chan is the key to end your clan's curse."

Daisuke was blown away when he heard that man confess such a thing. "What?!" He had to cover his mouth and look around rather nervously. The man relaxed when he heard nobody coming for him.

"I had a vision ten days ago," Kato explained. "A kitsune in red told me that only the Mother Kitsune of your clan can put a stop to the bloodshed and violence they have spread upon Japan."

"But how?" the younger man asked on his end of the line. "She doesn't even know how to use spells. I didn't teach her any tsukai magic at all. I even sealed Anna-chan's kitsune away."

"Is the shield complete?" Kato asked. Daisuke looked down at his feet rather sheepishly.

"Not really…" he admitted in a mumble.

"And why is that?" the old man asked. Daisuke bit his lower lip.

"I wasn't strong enough then," he admitted in a low voice.

"Kid, you don't have to lie to me, you know?" Kato said, "You can tell me, it's fine. Now tell me why you really didn't complete the shield." Daisuke swallowed hard before breaking down and telling him the real reason. For a moment there, he forgot that he was talking to an actual former priest who was pretty much familiar with the clan and kitsune-tsukai magic. He guessed that he really didn't have much of a choice in that matter. Outside the house, crickets lightly buzzed in the night.

"I see," Kato replied. "Have you been preparing for the worse, then?"

"Yes, I have."

"Then, let me offer you this little warning," the old man concluded. "Please be on your guard. You and Anna-chan are now in danger because you left the village."

"Yes," Daisuke replied.

"When the time comes, Anna-chan has to be ready to fight against the clan in order to end the curse," Kato finished up. "That is all I can tell you for now, goodbye." Daisuke stared at the receiver moments after the old man hung up. _Anna-chan's going to be the savior to this clan?_ The man sighed and lowered his head. It all just sounded like more of a mess to him.


	28. Sayonara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke recalls his visit to a clinic for his blood test.

_Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sayonara:_

Three years passed without incident. Anna continued to lead a normal life like Daisuke wanted for her to.

In April of 1999, Daisuke happened to come down to the front door to see Anna off to school like he sometimes did. However, this morning, he paused. He thought he saw a girl with long midnight blue hair to her waist stand up from putting on her shoes and walk over to the door. Daisuke blinked at this vision. The girl turned around and looked at him.

"Yumiko?" the man asked in surprise.

"Papa?"

Daisuke shook himself back into reality to find Anna standing before him staring.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him. The man put up another brave front with her. "Oh, no, it's nothing. You just looked like your aunt Yumiko there for a moment."

"Oh, I see."

"Have a good day, sweetie."

"See ya," Anna said before she went out the door. Despite moments like this, Daisuke truly wondered if the peace would really last. In the late summer, Daisuke began to have strange dreams again. Only this time, they came in a different variation.

_-Nightmare-_

Daisuke opened his eyes and found himself in a darkened room. He looked above his head and saw a sea of lit candles. The man glanced behind him when he heard a low chanting. If he could guess, this would be the chanting of monks. A puzzled expression came over his face.

_Are they chanting something for funeral?_ His thoughts were confirmed when the strong scent of burning incense made his nose hairs curl. He blinked rapidly as his eyes watered.

_Yep, this is a funeral_ , Daisuke thought. The question was, who was it? Something told him that he did not want to know. The man tried to get up and leave the room, but found that his legs would not move.

_Come on_ , he thought, _I should not be here! I have to get back to my daughter. Anna-chan needs me. Please let me go home._ The ringing of a steel bell drew Daisuke's attention to the altar before him. The black and ivory casket's lid drew open inch by inch. The man felt his pulse race with the anticipation and dread mixed together.

_I should not be seeing this_ , he thought. _I should not be seeing this!_ The lid fell to the coal-tiled floor with a shaking thud. All color drained from Daisuke's face when he saw the body. _No… No!_ His heart sank when he realized the truth. He saw his own body lying dead in the casket in front of him. The man tried to scream, but found that his voice was silenced by the chanting and thick air around him.

Suddenly, a sharp pain caught him in the chest. Daisuke slowly looked down and saw the bright red spreading on his white shirt under his chest. Various other wounds began to appear on his body. The ones that scared him the most were the burns in his wrists. One line at a time, they all formed into Kanji. He tried to make out what they were saying as they formed on his skin.

"Eda… Kimoto…" he slowly read to himself. The third and final one almost came down on his arm. _Bear?_ Before he could think of anything else, Daisuke felt himself sinking into an endless sea of darkness.

-Reality-

Daisuke laid awake in his futon staring up at the ceiling as his stomach turned. He had been having this dream for twenty-nine nights in a row now. What could this all mean? Daisuke shook his head at the only possibility that crossed his mind.

_I'm going to die by my family's hands_ , he thought in a sea of utter despair. He tightly shut his eyes as many more questions filled his head. When were they going to kill him? That dream didn't make any sense. Why would his family wait to strike after so long? They had plenty of times to try and kill him while he was in Tokyo. Even on that night that Haruka appeared on his front porch, she could've killed him then. If felt as if they were waiting for the right moment to strike. The dreams reopened that old worries and fears that he had been trying to bury since 1996.

Those old feelings carried on into the morning. Anna couldn't help but notice the state that her father was in. She had not seen him like this since he learned that his favorite director, Kurosawa Akira, died of a stroke in his bed last year. Daisuke spent days in a funk talking about how the late director brought happiness in his life when times looked rather grim.

However now that she thought about it, this was not that time. Daisuke was more worried about something deeper than a beloved director dying. Anna debated asking him what was on his mind at the breakfast table. Something told her that he would ignore her, but she would have to at least try.

"Papa, you don't look so well," Anna began. "Did something happen?" Daisuke looked his sixteen-year-old daughter in the eye. He remembered something about her that made both of their futures look rather grim from where he sat. It was nine years ago, in fact.

-July 7th, 1990-

The city clinic in Kobe, Japan opened for the day. Daisuke walked in as his eyes shifted around the muggy waiting room. Not many people around, but he still felt judged. _They can smell that woman on me!_ Thinking about his mother angered him all over again. He and his siblings didn't deserve such torment from her as they were growing up. The flames danced in his eyes. Sometimes he wished that there was a way to get back at her from killing his sisters. His heart pounded up to his throat as the young man closed his eyes and breathed in short circles.

_Don't let her break you down again_ , he thought. _You are not her toy anymore. Don't do this crap again. You have a daughter to look after now. Just let it go!_ Daisuke pulled his eyes open again. The smell of disinfectant filled his nose. The potency nearly made him fall backwards on the ground.

"Excuse me mister," someone spoke up. Daisuke jerked his head upwards to a young nurse who looked straight at him. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old with her black hair tied back into a tight ponytail.

Daisuke blankly eyed her. "Are… you a nurse here?"

"Yes. I'm shadowing a nurse for my summer break."

Daisuke nodded with a puzzled face. "Okay…" Something told him to expect a really bad feeling to follow this visit.

"Now, can I help you?" she asked.

"Sure! I need a…um…"

"What?" the young nurse asked.

"A blood test," he forced out with a mouth so dry. It sounded so painful to say it out loud like this. The nurse eyed him.

"Okay," she said. "May I ask the purpose of this test?" Daisuke felt his face burn. There was no way in hell that this little girl could comprehend what was at stake here.

"Can I talk to a doctor?" he asked. "You're not helping."

The nurse frowned at him. "You don't have to be so rude."

"Sorry!" he said. The girl calmed down.

"Right," she said. The young nurse turned to leave. Daisuke tried to keep it together. _She's just a kid. Don't take out your frustration on her._

"Hey!" he called.

The nurse stopped and turned. "Yes?"

Daisuke swallowed his pride. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit stressed out at the moment from my life." The nurse didn't blink.

"Okay…" she said. Daisuke shuffled a bit.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Nancy," the nurse said. "Ikeda Nancy."

Daisuke gave her a little smile. "I'm Kimoto Daisuke."

-Present Day-

"Papa?" a familiar voice shook him awake from his trance. "Papa?" The man saw Anna staring at him with a concerned look on her face. Daisuke shook his head as he pushed a piece of pickled ginger in his mouth. When he was finished chewing, he lowered his chopsticks on his bowl.

"It's okay," he informed her. "I am a little stressed out at the moment. I plan to see someone to get some help today." He turned and looked her in the eye. "In fact, I don't actually expect to be home on time tonight. Please don't wait up for me." Anna didn't know what to say at first. She clearly hadn't expected him to say something. The most that she hoped to get was a vague answer or a rebuff. The girl finished her juice and set her glass down on the table.

"Alright then," she mumbled. Daisuke watched as she cleared the mess from her table and walk out of the kitchen. The man just wanted to get out of the house and be alone for a while. He cleared his section of the table while he was sure that his daughter was gone for school and left Kimoto Manor himself. Jin watched the whole situation from his usual spot above them.

" _My, my, my,_ " he said to himself. " _Where will this all lead to today?_ "


	29. Only Love Can Conquer Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Daisuke's days become numbered, Anna has strange dreams about her father.

_Chapter Twenty-Nine: Only Love Can Conquer Hate:_

Daisuke knew that the end was coming for him. He couldn't stop the sound of the clock counting down to the end of his life. However, this wasn't the time to worry about such things. He already took all of the necessary steps that he needed to in order to ensure that his daughter would survive their clan's curse. Most of his tapes and his notes were sealed away in his storage building in the backyard. He pretty much had his kitsune under control. Daisuke did everything in his power to get ready as his end drew near. However, the man began to notice some rather unsettling signs from his daughter.

Lately this month, Anna seemed afraid to get near him. On the surface, everything looked normal between them, but subtle changes gave Daisuke warranted cause for alarm. Her affection for him was the same, but he noticed a sense of fear deep in her eyes. Meal times became quieter and she didn't even try to socialize with him. Sometimes, Anna would try and avoid him altogether if she could. She wouldn't even look him in the eye when she spoke to him. Daisuke didn't want to believe that she knew what was going on. However, his curiosity got the better him after weeks and weeks of uneasiness. The man just had to say something.

"Anna-chan," he spoke up on the twentieth of October. "What is the matter?" His daughter froze as she midway to her room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sitting on the couch. The sixteen-year-old girl tried not to look at him directly in the face. She couldn't quite understand it, but something told her to avoid him for the time being. However, that game was starting to get more difficult to play.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Her voice shook as she responded. He noticed that she would not look at him when responding. She always tapped her right foot when she was nervous to silently tell him so. The man decided not to alarm his daughter for now. _It would be best to keep things as simple as possible_ , he thought.

"You seem to be afraid of something," he pointed out. "Did anything happen at school? Is something bothering you?" Anna pondered how to answer his question. It was true that something was bothering her. Lately, she had been having strange dreams about her father. She couldn't fully remember them at first; they all came up in bits and pieces. Lately, the dreams had gotten stronger and more vivid, almost as if she could feel them. Remembering them again made her want to tremble. However, she didn't want to tell him out right.

Daisuke strained to listen as she mumbled her answer. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I feel fine."

"Look at me and say that," Daisuke told her. Anna couldn't move; she could tell that he was onto her now. Something inside of her said that lying would be of no use. The girl turned around to her father as if she was a cornered rabbit about to be ripped to shreds by a wild predator.

"I've had dreams," Anna said in a low voice. Looking him in the face startled her. The girl's eyes desperately darted down to her feet. Her father gave her a strange look on his face as he started to rise off of the couch.

"Dreams?" he asked. "What kind of dreams?" His quickened tone made her panic. Anna began backing away as she shook her head.

"Forget it!" she brushed off. Daisuke became desperate by now. He looked like a wild bull about to charge at her for her red bow on her chest.

"Anna-chan!" he pleaded. "Talk to me!"

"It's nothing, forget I said anything!"

He tried to catch her around as she ran back to her room, but she proved to be too fast for him. Daisuke took a long while to regain his composure. He sank back into the couch as he played back the moment that to took place seconds earlier. Daisuke laughed to himself as if his mind was crumbling apart under the current events in his life.

_Oh my, my, my_ , he thought, shaking his head. _Is this what has become of me now? I probably looked like a monster to that girl just a little while ago. It's getting to me. I need to stop before it all gets out of hand, before I die._

Jin watched him from the ceiling above and shook his head frowning. _You have lost it, master_ , he thought. The kitsune could feel the end coming for him as well. In fact, he already saw it long before Daisuke started to have dreams about his own death. However, Jin kept this a secret for his master kept on trying to distance himself from him these days. Besides, the kitsune doubted that Daisuke would even believe him anyway. Jin looked up at the sky.

" _Is this part of your grand plan, Mother?_ " he asked. " _You are just going to throw away this man and me for your own gain? Do you want revenge that badly?_ " He closed his eyes and felt a heavy chill through his body. A soft whisper filled his ears as a hand gently caressed his left shoulder. Jin drew open his thick amber eyes.

" _I see_ ," he replied, " _Then, I will not interfere with you ever again. This is your will and therefore I will accept it._ " That same hand patted him on the head. Jin took it with the same unease that Anna shared around her father.

Three days before his death, Daisuke sat alone in his office. Anna had already gone to bed hours earlier. The man himself couldn't sleep that night. He ended up leaving his room and wandering into his office. Right now, he sat at his desk in a daze.

Meanwhile in her room, Anna started to have her dreams again. Tonight was the strongest one yet.

-Dream-

Anna found herself wandering through the barren woods like she had done so many times. She felt cold with every step of the way. The girl looked around for anything in sight.

"Hello?" she asked. Only her own echo greeted her. Anna shivered at the hollow sounds filling her ears. _I don't like this; why am I here?_ _I want to go home._ The girl felt like she was walking in circles the more she tried to leave.

_Wait, where am I going?_ _I have to get back home. Papa will be so worried about me if he noticed that I never came back._ Suddenly, Anna stopped when a soft crackle caught her ear. _What? Is someone else here besides me?_ The girl looked over to her left. She noticed a figure standing before a large fire. Curious, Anna proceeded over with caution.

"Hello?" she asked. "I'm a little lost could you help me out?" The figure at the fire didn't respond. Anna walked closer with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Hello?" the girl asked again. "I need a little help trying to get home! Do you know a way out of this forest?" No response came to her still. Anna frowned as the despair began to creep in.

"Hello?" she tried once more. "Can you hear me? Are you lost too?" However, the girl stopped in her tracks when she noticed familiar scars on the figures upper back. Anna took a step back, shaking her head. _No_ , she thought. _That can't be. But…_ Against her better judgment, the girl went over for a closer look at the person at the large roaring bonfire. Her heart sank when she saw who it was.

"Papa?" Daisuke stood naked from the hungry flames. His hands dripped with fresh blood. Anna couldn't see where the source was coming. She tried to push out any negative possibilities that could ruin the precious image that she has of her father.

"Papa?" Anna asked again. "What are you doing out here? You're going to burn yourself like this? Come away from the…" His daughter froze in her tracks when she noticed tears streaming down his cheeks. Daisuke seemed to be mumbling something to himself repeatedly. Anna slowly backed away shaking her head. _No, no_ , she thought. _This isn't right._ The girl couldn't understand what or why she was seeing this.

-Reality-

Soon she drifted to a much more peaceful slumber. Back in his office, Daisuke sat at his desk. He turned his last remaining tape cassette in his hand. How ironic and convenient that this was the last tape in his latest package. Usually when he was nearly out of tapes, he would rush over to the nearest store and buy a new set. This time, it didn't seem to matter anymore. Knowing the reason why, Daisuke tried to push it out of his hand and think about something else. The man dropped his shoulders.

"I might as well do this," he muttered to himself. He only had this tape left anyway. Daisuke already decided that he would make the most of his last few recordings. The final truth needed to come out on the entry of his journal. He didn't care how much it would hurt Anna if she had to listen to it in the future; she would have to know the sins of this clan. Daisuke's planning didn't stop there either. The man had some idea of what he was going to do with it when he made his last recording on the day he died. Daisuke decided to hide it and maybe have Kato tell Anna where it was years later. The man reached into another desk drawer and pulled out his tape recorder. Once he set everything up, Daisuke hit record.

Tape Entry #3,040:

October 28th, 1999.

"My name is Kimoto Daisuke. I am thirty-four years old and a single dad. For sixteen years now, I have been recording this journal. I have revealed some unsavory truths on countless numbers of tapes. I'm not proud of them, but they had to come out. I didn't choose my fate or conditions. My biggest apologizes go to Anna-chan. She didn't deserve any of the hell. I… I never wanted this for her. She deserves a normal and a happy life. Sadly, that won't happen for her all because of our heritage. We are all cursed because of it.

He took a small pause, taking in a deep breath.

"One day, Anna-chan will hear these tapes. When she does, I will regret everything that I have ever recorded on them. But I know, that I can't keep her in the dark forever. Anna-chan will have to learn the truth someday."

Daisuke took another pause. The voice was starting to break apart from the slowly rising emotions.

"For that, I am so sorry, Anna-chan."

End of Tape #3,040

_That should do it for tonight_ , the man thought. And with that, Daisuke hit stop on his tape recorder and sighed.


	30. The End of Asia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day and the events leading up to Daisuke's death.

_Chapter Thirty: The End of Asia:_

October 31st, 1999.

Today would be Daisuke's last day in the world of the living. He didn't exactly know when it would happen, but he had a strong feeling that the end was near. However, the man decided not to alarm his daughter. Things were starting to return back to normal between them. Daisuke decided to make the most of this day.

That morning, he knocked on Anna's bedroom door. The girl was just starting on her homework when she looked up.

"Come in," she said. Daisuke slid open her bedroom door and poked his head inside.

"Hey, how are you?"

Anna didn't even look up from her homework. "I'm fine. How are doing?"

"I'm good," Daisuke said with a nod. "Hey, what are you doing today?"

"I was going to do my homework and maybe watch some TV, why do you ask?"

Daisuke managed a little smile on his face. "Let's spend the day out together." Anna paused and looked up at her dad rather confused.

"What?" she asked.

"You know," the man explained. "We can go out on the city and catch a movie or something, my treat."

"But I still have my homework."

"Just leave it for now," Daisuke insisted. Anna tilted her head.

"But…" she started to say again. Her father gave her an innocent pouting face.

"Come on," the man pleaded. "It is Halloween; we should be out on this nice day today. Please?" Anna tried to look away from those puppy dog eyes of his. She always didn't have much of a chance against him when he pulled such a charm on her. Anna put down her pencil.

"Alright," she said with a defeated sigh. Daisuke looked like he was going to explode with excitement.

"Thank you!" he shouted with a bow. Anna gave him a rather worried look at her face.

"Papa, you're scaring me," she told him. Daisuke stood up straight and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry about that," he muttered. "I'll be waiting by the door." She watched him back away from the door and disappear into the hallway. Something told her that he wouldn't change his mind so easily. Anna closed up her textbook and notes and went to the closet to get a sweater.

Daisuke paced around near the front door. He did his best to push away the thought of death. Today was not going to be about that. The man just wanted a nice day out with his only beloved daughter. He couldn't let her know that he was going to die maybe in a few hours from now. However, he couldn't let his guard down either. His family could strike in broad daylight if they wanted to.

The man put on his brave face again. _Right, I won't let anything ruin our day out today_ , he thought. He turned when he heard footsteps coming towards him down the hallway. Anna stared at him wearing her school uniform. Daisuke looked at her clothing choice in a strange way.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked. Anna looked down at her clothes.

"This is one of my favorite clothes," she said. Daisuke shook his head and waved her off.

"That won't work, go change into something causal."

Anna frowned at him. "But…"

"Please? Do it for me." His daughter dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll go change." The girl turned and went back to her room. Minutes later, she came back in a black sweater and a long brown skirt. Daisuke looked her up and down and smiled.

"Good enough," he said. "Now let's get going." Anna followed her father out the door. On the street, she glanced up at him.

"So what exactly are we doing today?" she asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

"I just thought that we could see a movie, get lunch, walk around the park, and then maybe go home," he answered, "Something like that." He noticed the strange look on his daughter's face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"You didn't plan this out too well, did you?" she asked.

"Not really," her father said with a sheepish smile on his face. Anna smiled and giggled to herself.

"So what movie do you want to see?" she asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever happens to look good at the moment," he admitted. The man noticed his daughter trying not to laugh.

"What is it?" he asked. Anna smiled and shook her head.

"You really didn't plan this out too well, did you?"

"Hey come on. I just thought of this nice day out. Can't you at least humor me by enjoying it?" Anna put up her hands at him.

"Alright, aright," she said, "I will enjoy today just for you."

"Thank you," Daisuke said with a little bow. His daughter shook her head smiling at him acting like a big goofball. They settled on the movie, _Owls' Castle_. Daisuke spent most of the movie comparing it to its original, _Castle of Owls_. Anna shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Papa, it's just a remake," she complained as they walked out of the theater.

"I can't help it, I will in the film club in college." His daughter turned to him with big surprised eyes.

"You were in a film club?"

"Yep. That's how I got to see _My Neighbor Totoro_ and _Grave of the Fireflies_."

"I remember Totoro," Anna replied. "But I don't remember _Grave of the Fireflies_." Daisuke shook his head.

"You would not have liked it." His daughter tilted her head puzzled by this statement.

"Why not?"

"You were five years old at the time and I found it too depressing for you," Daisuke answered, "The kids died in the end." He noticed his daughter frowning at him.

"You spoiled it!" she said, play-hitting him. Daisuke turned to shield himself away from her repeated swings.

"Come on!" the father wailed. "I just saved you from watching something that would bum you out later on in life."

"What if I wanted to see it?"

"Well then, I still saved you the disappointment," Daisuke said. Anna frowned and pouted at him.

"What?" he asked as she walked ahead of him. He raced to catch up with her. They passed a jewelry shop in the city.

"Papa!" Anna yelped with her face pressed up against the glass. "Look! Look!" Her father paused and turned around.

"What is it?" He came over to the window and looked with her. A gold necklace was on display. It had a small charm in the middle shaped like a cat with its paw out and away from its little body.

"It's so pretty!" Anna said as her breath fogged up the window.

"Yes, it is," Daisuke replied with a nod. His daughter whipped around to him with big angelic eyes.

"Could you please buy it for me?" she pleaded. "Please?" Daisuke gave her a rather nervous chuckle.

"I don't know. It looks rather pricey for my taste."

"Please?" Anna begged again. "I promise I'll wear it every day. Please, it's all I want." Daisuke smiled and shook his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll get it for you, but you have to keep your promise to wear it every day." Anna nodded quickly.

"I promise I will!"

"Okay, I believe you," her father said. Anna squealed and hugged her father wildly in the street. Daisuke patted her on the head.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Anna said aloud repeatedly.

"Calm down," Daisuke said. "Let's go inside and get your necklace." They headed into the jewelry store. In three minutes, Daisuke bought his daughter her precious gold cat necklace. In truth, he formed a motive to have this piece of jewelry for Anna later on down the road.

"You feeling hungry?" the man asked her. Anna turned to him with a huge smile on her face.

"Sure!"

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Sushi bar!"

"Very well," her father said. They headed out to her favorite sushi bar. As they walked through the crowded Sunday streets, Daisuke secretly opened the velvet box in the bright pink bag and rested his fingertips on the gold clasp. His lips murmured a silent incantation. A small yellow light disappeared into the clasp.

"Say, Anna-chan," Daisuke spoke up. "Do you want me to put your necklace on right now?"

"Yes, please," his daughter said with grace in her voice. They paused in front of the sushi restaurant's glass doors. Daisuke reached into the bag and pulled out the newly purchased cat necklace. Anna lifted up her long auburn ponytail and let him clasp her charm around her neck. She turned and looked in the glass.

"It's so pretty!" she said with a smile on her face.

"Shall we go in?" Daisuke offered with his arm out to her.

"Yes, Papa."

The man walked her into the restaurant. They sat in their usual place at the window. Daisuke listened happily as Anna shared funny stories about what happened at her school. It was going to be a shame that he would never hear them again. It reminded him that he still had one more thing to do.

When they made it back home after their last day together, Daisuke paused in the living room. Anna looked up when she heard him stop.

"Something wrong, Papa?"

"Anna-chan, I think I left something at the post office yesterday," Daisuke lied. "Could you go and check to see if it is still there?" Despite thinking that this was an odd request, Anna nodded her head.

"Okay…"

Her father listened as she put her shoes back on and head out the door. Once he was sure that she was gone, Daisuke walked down the hall to his office. At his desk, he set up his tape recorder and hit record for the very last time.

Owari


End file.
